RE, FFVII, DOC: Genesis
by DarkSeraphim1
Summary: Set after the events of ACC, DOC, and RE4, but before RE5. A single black feather is the beginning of everything. . .Crossover/HET/General. Rated 'M' for violence and bad language. Please, R&R.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, who are the property of Capcom and Square-Enix, respectively.

Synopsis: If you've played Dirge Of Cerberus, and you got the secret ending, you'll have an idea of what I'm planning. If not, you'll figure it out soon enough:)

Author's Note: A weird-ass crossover idea I got after first watching Advent Children Complete (yet again), then going back and forth between FFVII, Resident Evil Rebirth, and Dirge Of Cerberus. Boredom does strange things to me. Anyway, I put it here because the story starts out with the Final Fantasy characters, but it's definitely going to be a crossover. That said, I'm really not sure just how this is going to play out. Vincent just got in my head and wouldn't go away, and then Cloud joined him, and then Chris, and. . .You get the picture. Hopefully, it turned out alright. Review, and let me know what you think. Thanks, for reading.

Author's Note II: I started this before I'd played Crisis Core or Resident Evil 5. I'll be adding in bits and pieces from both as we go along, but I really didn't like the whole 'Wesker is an Umbrella science project' plot twist. Jenova Project, anyone? Shades of Sephiroth. . .(sigh).

Author's Note III: Beta'd by Littlehouseinthewoods, author of Minerva's Gift, a really well-written friendship fic (FFVII). Thanks, LH =)

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RE/FFVII/DOC: Genesis

Prologue

A figure stirred in the shadows, nearly indistinguishable from the darkness around him. He stepped silently out of the void, ignoring the voices that screamed in subliminal protest. He had been trapped on the other side for nearly a decade, forced to survive in an environment alien to all that he knew, a world where magic had been replaced by cold hard science--a world ruled by Umbrella.

As he breathed in the Mako-rich air of his homeworld, he was pierced by a shaft of regret. He could not linger here now, though he longed to. The portal that had been opened this night was a part of him, but it was not something he could control. Not yet, at any rate.

Had his brethren's defeat not added to his power, this visit wouldn't have been possible at all. As it was, he had only a short time here, and he was determined not to waste it.

He walked slowly through the darkened cavern, coming to a halt before a large, upraised stone slab. His brilliant gaze locked on the man who lay unconscious upon its hard surface, the man's whose defeat had given him this rare opportunity.

Two large silver swords rested on either side of him, the blood covering them a testament to the battle he had so bravely fought. Silver-white hair framed too-young features, while surprisingly dark lashes kept his eyes fully hidden. His muscular chest rose and fell with only the faintest of motions, the miniscule movement the only sign that Weiss of the Tsviets still lived.

He leaned down and carefully lifted the unconscious man in his leather-clad arms. "It is not yet time for slumber," he murmured, his eyes taking on a strange glow as power flowed back and forth between them. "We still have much to do. . .my brother."

The man in tight black leather smiled slowly, chillingly, at the young man who lay insensate in his arms. He raised his gaze to the cave's ceiling, and the large opening that Weiss' final battle with Chaos had created. The moon gleamed brightly in the sky, casting silver beams of light over them both. He closed his eyes, letting the power pour through him, careful not to take too much from his comatose sibling. Though this was where Weiss' life had ended, it was not where it would be reborn. That would occur in a place that held far greater power than either Chaos or Omega could produce.

With no more than a thought, he called forth his first form, the one that would allow him the gift of flight. It sprung from his back quickly, slicing painfully through the thin skin covering his left shoulder. The soft black feathers of his wing gleamed silver in the moonlight as it unfurled, stirring the stagnant air around it, and he smiled at the sensation.

For the first time in ten years, he was _free_.

The being who called himself Genesis lifted them into the air, his smile widening as he tightened his hold on his genetic sibling. _Soon, we will both taste freedom, my brother. Mother will see to it._


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, who are the property of Capcom and Square-Enix, respectively.

Synopsis: If you've played Dirge Of Cerberus, and you got the secret ending, you'll have an idea of what I'm planning. If not, you'll figure it out soon enough.

Author's Note: When I started this fic, it never occurred to me that other people wouldn't be familiar with both games, even though the were in completely different genres. I loved them, and I just assumed that everyone else must, too. Hopefully, I'll manage to make the unfamiliar characters likable, if not lovable, and you'll see my 'vision' the way that I did when I started it. On that note, a special thanks to my beta, Littlehouseinthewoods, who is doing her best to keep up with this one, even though she's not a huge Resident Evil fan. Now, enjoy the tale:)

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Chapter One

He stood motionless at the edge of the abyss, silent as his crimson-hued gaze searched the impenetrable darkness below. The wind swirled around him as though alive, pulling at his sable hair, whipping his scarlet cloak around him. The butter-soft fabric molded itself lovingly to his body, and he flipped it back with an impatient gesture. One hand dropped to the ornate weapon strapped to his right thigh, and he heaved a sigh of relief. He wasn't a master swordsman, nor was he a particularly proficient magic-user. His strength lay in his shooting prowess and little else, a fact that he was all too aware of.

Vincent Valentine took a cautious half-step forward, taking special care not to lose his footing on the cliff's slick edge. It was here that--three years before--they had fought the One-Winged Angel, the legendary ex-Soldier known as Sephiroth. Deep within Jenova's cradle, miles beneath the planet's surface, the eight of them had fought a seemingly hopeless battle to save their battered world from complete annihilation.

In the end, they had triumphed, driving The Nightmare back into the darkness which had spawned it. But he had _never_ forgotten. If there was one thing his unnaturally long life had taught him, it was that evil never truly died. It merely assumed newer, more horrific forms.

Which was why he was here, now, Vincent reminded himself. Five weeks ago, a genetically altered super-soldier named Weiss had murdered thousands of innocents in an attempt to call forth Omega. The plan had worked, and The Planet's ultimate protector had risen from the depths of the Lifestream in a misguided attempt to save it.

While his friends had fought Weiss' Deep Ground troops, he had gone into the abandoned Mako reactor after the Tsviet leader. He'd fought Weiss in each of his forms, only to discover that it hadn't been Weiss behind Omega's awakening. Dr. Hojo, the Shinra scientist responsible for creating Sephiroth, had been the one responsible for the crisis now facing The Planet. Somehow, Hojo had managed to escape his richly deserved death by uploading his spiritual essence into the world-wide network. Through the machines that kept the ailing Weiss alive deep below the Shinra building, Hojo had entered the young man's body and assumed control of it.

With the unexpected help of Weiss' brother, Nero The Shade, Hojo had been driven from the super-soldier's body. Once Weiss had regained control, he himself had drawn on the untainted Lifestream that Deep Ground had killed so many to create, and had called forth Omega.

Vincent pushed thoughts of that final, nearly fatal battle aside. Now was not the time to dwell on Chaos, Omega, or the Proto-Materia that Lucrecia Crescent had once used to save his life. He had defeated Omega, left Weiss' body where it had fallen, and rejoined his friends on the surface. He had said his goodbyes to the woman he had once loved more than life itself, determined to do more than simply endure his existence. He had chosen to rejoin the world of the living, and for the first time in thirty-three years, he had been almost happy with his life.

Four weeks later, he found himself _here_, reentering this place of death. Reeve Tuesti, the commissioner of the World Regenesis Organization, had called with disquieting news. He had sent a WRO unit into the Deep Ground headquarters to retrieve Weiss' body. Instead, they had found only an empty cavern. In the spot where Weiss had fallen they found a single, solitary ebony feather. Innocent enough by itself, yet it was what that plume _represented_ that was enough to worry them all.

Sephiroth, Vincent thought with a shake of head. After the incident with Kadaj and his gang a year ago, Reeve had made plans to enter the Northern Crater. He wanted to collect the remains of Jenova and destroy them, so that Sephiroth would never again be reborn. Unfortunately, rebuilding the world took a great deal of time, and the expedition had been put on hold.

But now, a single feather had changed everything. The possibility that Sephiroth had already been reborn could not be ignored. Cloud, who was connected to both Sephiroth and Jenova on a cellular level, had been having disturbing dreams since Deep Ground's defeat. Visions of a new nightmare haunted him, mixing with memories of the mad Soldier he had once admired so greatly. He couldn't remember his dreams upon awakening, save that Sephiroth figured prominently in them, along with a bevy of monsters he had never seen before.

That was enough for Vincent. He needed no more to convince him that this investigation was necessary. Cloud had gone through hell because of Sephiroth. He had come close to losing not only his life, but his sanity as well. If he could somehow spare his friend yet another devastating encounter with The Nightmare, he would. It was that simple.

"Vincent?" A high-pitched, musical voice penetrated his thoughts. "Are you _sure_ about this?"

He glanced to his right, his ruby eyes focusing on the slim woman beside him. Her cat-like black eyes were just a little too wide as they met his, and he suppressed an inexplicable urge to smile. Yuffie Kisaragi had that effect on most people, and he was certainly no exception. There was simply something about her, an insatiable passion for life, that was as charming as it was exasperating. Yuffie was an unusual young woman, a trusted ally, as well as someone he considered a friend.

"You don't have to come," he said at length, his too-deep voice solemn. "I can handle this alone."

Yuffie's response was as immediate as it was expected. "Yeah, right," she snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Like I'd let you go down _there_ alone. Sephiroth's probably sitting in the dark, just waiting for you, ready to turn you into a real corpse!"

Vincent remained silent as she paused, knowing that it was only to draw a breath between sentences. "If I let you go in alone, you'll probably get yourself hurt, and I--the great Yuffie Kisaragi--will have to go in and save you. Again. And will I get any thanks--any at all--from you for my efforts? Nope. Just like always, you'll pretend that nothing happened and forget all about my brave, valiant rescue."

And that, he thought ruefully, was the negative aspect of Yuffie's rather exuberant personality. She wasn't one to suffer _anything_ in silence. Quite the opposite, in fact. He had never known another person who loved to talk as much as she did, not even Hojo, although he came close. Yuffie's unrelenting enthusiasm, her astonishingly high level of energy, was what made her unique. Unfortunately, it could also be extremely hard on one's nerves.

It was with a combination of fondness and irritation that he replied, "Yuffie, I thank you in advance. Shall we go?"

Yuffie's jaw dropped at what she assumed was Vincent's very first attempt at humor. Hell, she hadn't even known that he had a sense of humor! "After you, Vince," she said finally, grinning at the annoyance that flashed through those brilliant ruby eyes. Although he'd long since become accustomed to hearing his name shortened, he'd never really cared for it. Oh, well, she thought philosophically, he'll live. Right now, they had a job to do.

Vincent crouched at the crater's edge, where the path they had once taken was just barely discernable below a layer of ice. He cursed soundly, worried not about himself, but for Yuffie's safety. For all of her competence in battle, she was not the most graceful girl on The Planet.

He glanced up at her, ignoring the length of her incredibly long legs, and met her gaze evenly. "I'll go first and create handholds. Don't come down until I tell you to," he ordered sternly.

Two dusky black eyebrows shot up at the imperious command, but for once, she didn't respond. Vincent didn't question it. He was just grateful for the reprieve. He studied the ground for a moment longer before thrusting his left hand into it. The golden armor that encased his elongated fingers dug into the icy earth, and he swung himself off the edge. His feet hit the side of the crater, and one foot at a time, he used his armor-plated boots to create secure footholds. He did his best to keep them close enough together so that Yuffie's more diminutive stature wouldn't be a problem, but there was only so much he could do. He _was_ the taller of the two.

Vincent made his way down the side with quick, efficient movements, confident in his own reflexes. Once he reached a level piece of land, he yelled, "Use your Pinwheel to make the second handhold! But be careful!" he added. "The crater is covered in ice!"

"Duh! I _know_ that!" came the loud, indignant response. "You just wait right there, Vincent I'm-So-Tough Valentine. I'll be right down!"

He laughed softly to himself, grateful for the wind that muffled the sound. If Yuffie ever discovered that he found her posturing amusing, he would never hear the end if it--literally. If there was one thing she was good at, it was touting her own abilities to anyone who would listen. Humble, she was _not._

He watched as she slowly made her way towards him, grumbling loudly about the distance between the holes. He ignored her complaints and concentrated on monitoring her descent. If she lost her hold, he would be there to catch her. It was what friends did, after all. They relied on one another, and not only for their physical safety. It was a long-forgotten concept that he had rediscovered by watching Cloud and the others interact three years ago. He might not be as outgoing as most of his friends, but he was there for them when it truly mattered, and that was the essence of true friendship.

Just as Yuffie had been there for him when Rosso The Crimson had nearly killed him. The Tsviet soldier had ripped the Proto-Materia from his chest and moved in to finish him off when Yuffie had stopped her. He hadn't been conscious during the confrontation, but he had heard _all_ about it once he had awakened. He hadn't been aware that he'd harbored the coveted magic source inside him then, nor that it had been removed. He'd only known pain, and vague dreams of Chaos. What he did know was that, if not for the saucy girl currently whining her way towards him, he wouldn't be alive today.

Vincent smiled to himself briefly. When Cloud and the others had interrupted his long slumber in the bowels of the Shinra Mansion, he couldn't have known just how much his life would change. For the first time since his death and resurrection, he had found himself caring about the world around him. Not even the guilt that had all but destroyed him had been able to make him turn them away. He had gone on the adventure of a lifetime, helped save the world, and made life-long alliances in the process. Not bad for a former Turk-turned-science project.

A high, fear-filled cry echoed through the crater, accompanied by the dull clang of metal on ice, and Vincent forced himself to focus on the present. Yuffie was dangling by one delicate hand, her gamine features marred with fear, as she scrambled to regain her hold on the mountain without the spiked weapon. Vincent stepped forward immediately, intending to climb the twenty feet to her position, when she lost her hold. She plummeted down the side of the mountain, screaming his name as she fell. He made a quick mental calculation and jumped with all of his might. He caught her in mid-air, threw her over his right shoulder, and struck out with his left hand. A horrible screech filled the air as his armored glove slid uselessly off the thick ice.

Vincent cursed soundlessly and concentrated, mentally ordering his body to shift. Instead of the nearly indestructible Galian Beast he had intended, his body took on a form that he was rarely able to use. His cloak spread out around them, taking on a life of its own, merging with his own body. As he had a year ago with Cloud, he used the cloak's suddenly malleable shape to slow his descent, and swirl them both to safety.

He landed lightly on his feet, willing his body back to normal. The scarlet mantle withdrew, draping around his body as it normally did. He glanced down at the woman in his arms, whose rapid breathing--not to mention the stranglehold on his neck--attested to her fright. He kept her close, not wanting her to catch a chill on the frozen ground beneath them, as he shifted her around to rest in his arms.

Or so he told himself as he met her startled ebony eyes. "Yuffie," he murmured with lingering urgency, "are you all right?"

"Y-Yeah. I just. . .lost my hold, that's all. I'm okay," she returned, then contradicted herself with a violent shudder. She laid her head on his shoulder with a loud, dramatic sigh of relief. "I guess, it's me who should be thanking you this time, huh?"

Vincent turned his face into her hair to hide his sudden smile. "No thanks are necessary, Yuffie. You would have done the same for me, after all."

Yuffie raised her head, the fear gone as she exclaimed, "I _have_ done the same for you, Vincent. Lots of times!"

"I know," he acknowledged in a too-serious voice. She loosened her hold on him, and he knew that it was time to let her go. He set her on her feet with careful motions, one hand hovering near her arm, in case her legs failed her. "You're sure you're all right?"

There he goes again, Yuffie thought with another sigh. Mr. Responsibility, holding himself accountable for events he couldn't have controlled. "You never change, Vince. You know that?"

Vincent shrugged with unconscious elegance. "Am I supposed to?" he asked mildly.

She only shook her head, wishing he didn't take everything so damned seriously. "No, you're just. . .you," she said lamely. Vincent wasn't a stupid man by any means, but he _was_ a tad bit slow when came to relating to others. He'd made great strides in the three years she'd known him, but he'd been living with guilt for so long that he truly didn't know any other way.

He was watching her with a serene expression on his near-perfect features. Hell, even those startling eyes of his were filled with virtually limitless patience. His self-possession bothered her at times, but it was just the way that he was. It took a _lot_ to shake his composure, and just now, she found that she wanted to try. Near-death experiences sometimes had that effect on her.

"Well, thanks for the save anyway." Yuffie patted his arm, reached for her backup weapon, and turned towards the path before them. "Let's get this over with, so we can go back to Cid's. You know that Shera's making Wutai Surprise tonight?"

This time, it was Vincent who shuddered. He had never figured out just what went into the dish from Yuffie's native land, and he didn't want to know. It was enough that the food moved _after_ it had been cooked. "So Cid warned--I mean, told me," he said hastily, hoping that she hadn't caught the verbal slip.

She grinned, not offended in the least. Wutai Surprise _was_ an acquired taste. "Don't worry, Vince, Shera said she'd make a second dish for you and Cloud."

Relief flashed across those tranquil features, echoed in his bright ruby eyes, and she couldn't suppress a laugh. "Oh, Vincent," she chuckled, "sometimes, you're too easy."

Vincent lifted one sable brow at that. Of all the adjectives he had ever heard used to describe him, 'easy' had never been one of them. He opened his mouth to demand an explanation, and then thought better of it. Now was certainly not the time for such things. They were here on an important mission, one that could potentially affect the Planet for years to come. He would ask for an explanation later.

An image of Sephiroth flashed through his mind, and he shook his head to banish it. He reached for the phone strapped to his gunbelt as it began to ring. He flipped it open, his gaze was drawn to Yuffie as she examined the long, winding path they had used three years before. Her gamine features showed apprehension, and he couldn't blame her for it. Battling Sephiroth wasn't his fondest memory, either.

A firm male voice sounded in his ear. _"Vincent."_

"Cloud," he returned simply.

"_I saw Yuffie fall. Were either of you hurt?"_

"We're fine. We're preparing to descend into the crater, now."

"_I wish I was there with you, Vincent."_

"No, you don't." Vincent glanced upwards, where the Shera hovered protectively over them. He smiled faintly, warmed by the knowledge that his friends cared enough to worry over him. "Sephiroth nearly killed you last year. This time, let us handle him, should the need arise."

There was a pause, and then, _"If Sephiroth has risen, it will take all of us, Vincent, not just you."_

Vincent remained silent, knowing that the other man was right, wishing that he wasn't. "For now, let me worry about this, Cloud. If Sephiroth has returned, we'll know it soon enough, and we will deal with him accordingly."

Cloud Strife grunted softly. _"For someone who didn't want to be involved, you've certainly stuck yourself in the middle of this one."_

"From all accounts, I could say the same of you," he replied with a touch of humor. Cloud had been a mercenary once, before Sephiroth had triggered Jenova's reunion. He had been dragged into the quest to save their world quite unwillingly, all because of a promise made to a childhood friend.

The other man laughed a little at that. _"Yeah, Tifa put an end to that quickly enough."_

"So, I've heard."

"_Hold on, Vincent."_

He waited patiently, knowing that the woman in question was reaching for the phone. _"Hey, Vincent. Are you two okay down there?"_

Vincent smiled again, unable to stop himself. "Yes, Tifa, we're fine."

"_Good."_ He heard voices in the background and sighed to himself. Sometimes, having friends who worried over your safety could be quite annoying. _"Cid says to tell you to take care of Yuffie. Shera will be. . .pissed if anything happens to her. Or you, for that matter."_

He could well imagine the blush that had accompanied her words. Cid was a rather plainspoken man. "All will be well, Tifa. We will be careful, I promise you."

The phone changed hands yet again. _"Vincent, are you sure you'll be alright without Chaos?"_

"I'm sure, Reeve. I am well rid of it."

"_Then, hurry and come back to us, Vincent."_ A hint of laughter entered Reeve's smooth, cultured voice. _"I shudder to think of what might happen with Yuffie as your only defender."_

"Yuffie and I will do just fine," he stated, his voice taking on an edge despite his best efforts. For all that he _knew_ they respected Yuffie, they tended to treat her like a child at times. "She _is_ a proven warrior, Reeve."

The laughter became blatant. _"If you say so, Vincent."_

Yuffie came over to him, rolling her eyes as she listened to his side of the conversation. Nobody ever took her seriously, she thought huffily. Just because she preferred to take action when others advised caution didn't mean she was incompetent. Just a little. . .impulsive, maybe.

Vincent was sighing again, this time with frustration. "Tell Barret that we'll be back as soon as possible, and that I won't disappoint Marlene by dying on her."

He frowned faintly, displeased by whatever he was hearing. "No, I won't let Yuffie die on her, either."

He closed the PHS abruptly, his patience gone. "Are you ready?" he asked shortly.

"You know it!" she responded enthusiastically. "Boy, you'd think they'd know that we could handle ourselves by now. After all, we've been fighting for the Planet just as long they have!"

Vincent merely shrugged, although a part of him agreed with her. "They care about us, Yuffie. It's only natural that they worry."

"Yeah, I know, but still. . ." Her voice trailed off as she shrugged it aside. "Well, let's go make sure that Sephiroth's still part of the Lifestream. I, for one, don't like this cold."

He grunted in agreement. While his altered body was nearly invulnerable, he wasn't immune to the bitter chill. It was unpleasant, to say the least. "Stay close to me," was all he said as he started forward.

She mumbled something under her breath as she watched him draw the Cerberus from its holster. She knew that he had other, more powerful guns on him, but he always chose Cerberus first. A leftover from his days with The Turks, maybe. She wasn't sure, and he'd never answered her when she'd asked. He was touchy as hell about that part of his life.

Not that she blamed him, she thought as she fell into step beside him. After everything Dr. Hojo and his precious Lucrecia had done to him, it was a wonder he was still sane. The woman he'd loved had dumped him for another man, and then that man had _killed_ him. Sure, she had used Chaos to bring him back, but that had to have been a mixed blessing, at best.

The worst part was that Vincent still loved Lucrecia Crescent. After all that had happened with Shelke and the rest of Deep Ground five weeks ago, Vincent had finally begun to change. While he was still a solemn man--he probably always would be--he had started to come out of his shell. He had actually begun to _smile,_ which had totally blown her away. For all that Vincent Valentine was an astonishingly handsome man, she had been unprepared for the changes that first smile had wrought.

The coldness that she'd believed to be an inherent part of his personality was gone, replaced by a gentleness none of them had expected. Only then, had she begun to understand just how much his precious Lucrecia had hurt him. He hadn't been as indifferent as he'd always seemed, he'd merely been using that coldness to protect himself from further pain. And while he was making great strides now, a lifetime of pain couldn't be erased so easily.

Vincent had begun spending more time with them, both in Midgar and in Rocket Town, where Cid and Shera lived. Of course, most of the time he spent in Midgar was consumed by Shelke as he helped the former Deep Ground soldier readjust to the real world. Still, he _was_ trying, and that's what counted.

What bothered her was the fact that he still snuck off to visit Lucrecia whenever the opportunity arose. Sure, her body had been preserved to perfection, but she was still _dead_,and she wasn't coming back. Vincent knew that better than anybody, but he insisted on paying his respects whenever he had a free moment, and he had a _lot_ of free time.

Yuffie sighed to herself. Vincent was never going to be able to get over the woman so long as he clung to her memory so tightly. The guilt he felt over not being able to stop her from participating in the Jenova experiments had all but crippled him emotionally. He was recovering, but it was a slow process, and it angered her that she couldn't do more to help him.

Vincent was a lot like Cloud, Yuffie realized with surprise. Both had been steeped in guilt over the deaths of women they'd cared for. Cloud had had Tifa to pull him out of his depression. Vincent had no one to do the same for him. Maybe, _she_ could be the one to help him!

And why not? she asked herself, quickly warming to the idea. She had always had a soft spot for Vincent, and he seemed to like her well enough. Sure, he'd never so much as hinted that he'd like more, but he was a little slow when it came to interpersonal relations, so that didn't mean a whole lot. They were both attractive, unattached people who had been alone for a long time. So again, why not?

Vincent heard Yuffie sigh heavily and slid a sidelong glance at her. Her expressive features became pensive, even as her dark eyes sparked with temper. He frowned as he wondered what possibly could have happened in the past few minutes to make her angry. Then, her expression changed once again, and his concern turned to alarm. She cast an excited glance his way, a wide smile brightening her countenance, and his stomach lurched warningly. Whatever she was thinking, it boded ill for him. He was sure of it.

"What?" he questioned with a wariness he couldn't hide.

Her smile only widened as she sidled closer to his side. "You know, Vincent," she began, twining an arm through his, "I like you."

He blinked, both in surprise and irritation, as she rendered his gun-arm temporarily useless. "I like you, too," he muttered, his confusion obvious as he jerked his arm out of her grasp. He brought the Cerberus up before him, hoping she'd take the hint, and fall silent once more. As always, luck was not on his side.

"I mean it, Vincent." Yuffie set her hand on his upper arm, careful not to hinder his aim this time. "You're one of my closest friends, you know?"

His frown darkened. "Of course, we are friends, Yuffie. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Gawd, you're thick," she said with exasperation. She shook her head with its sleek cap of dark hair and wondered if Tifa had had this much trouble with Cloud. "I think we should spend more time together, Vince. Get to know each other better," she clarified.

One jet-black brow rose at her words. "I spend a great deal of time with you all," he told her mildly.

Yuffie snorted at that. "You spend way too much time with the dead, Vincent. You ought to give the living a chance now and then. It would do wonders for you disposition."

Vincent looked away quickly, hiding a smile. Like Cloud and the others, she worried about him. She thought that he spent too much time alone, which he probably did. "You worry needlessly," he told her quietly. "I have chosen to live, I assure you."

"I know you have. It's just that--" she broke off with a frustrated sound. She was trying to be subtle here, but she wasn't very good at it, and Vincent was definitely _not_ helping. "What I mean is, I thought that _we_--you and I--could spend some time together. Alone," she added meaningfully.

Vincent's stopped dead in his tracks, his crimson eyes wide with shock as they flew to hers. This was the _last_ thing he had expected from Yuffie Kisaragi. "Yuffie, I. . ." he let his voice trail off, not sure how to respond. It wasn't every day that he was propositioned by a woman, let alone one he considered a friend!

His heart skipped a beat. "I was not aware that you saw me in that light," he said as carefully as he could.

"So, it never even occurred to you?" She put her hand on her hips, her ebony eyes narrowing in warning as her expression turned indignant. "Are you trying to tell me that you never even _noticed_ how attractive I am?"

Vincent nearly smiled at that. He had noticed years ago, he had just never been able to put his thoughts into words. His near-perfect features softened dramatically as he admitted, "I have always found you attractive, Yuffie."

"Really?" She blinked a few times, then recovered, smiling broadly. "So, what do you say, Vince? Do you want to spend some quality time together, once we're done here?"

Vincent glanced around the darkened interior of the Northern Cave, wondering why she had chosen now, of all times, to broach this subject. "I would like that," he answered sincerely, his gaze swinging back to hers. "But, are you sure? I am. . .different, Yuffie."

"Well, duh, I'm aware of that," she said, rolling her eyes. She flashed a happy, satisfied smile, patted his arm, and started walking once again. "We're going to have a lot of fun together, Vincent. You just wait."

_Fun._ The word echoed through Vincent's head as he slowly followed her. When was the last time he had truly enjoyed anything he had done? he asked himself. Yes, he liked being with his friends, being a part of the family they had created together, but what Yuffie had suggested would be so much more. He hadn't experienced that kind of pleasure since--

He pushed thoughts of Lucrecia aside. She was no longer a part of his life, nor would she ever be again. He had loved her with all of his heart, but she was gone, and he _was_ trying to move past her. And he cared for Yuffie a great deal. As he'd told her, he had always found her attractive. He just hadn't realized that she had noticed him, as well.

Vincent found that he was smiling as he caught up to the beautiful young woman who had unknowingly changed his life only minutes before. A whole new world had opened up for him, one which he had secretly longed for for years. He had missed simply being with a woman, even as he strove to protect himself from the pain such a union could bring. But he trusted Yuffie with his life, why not his heart, as well?

He wondered if it was possible for someone like him to have a normal relationship with a woman. Cloud had proven that it was possible when he had married Tifa, but Yuffie hadn't spoken of love. No, what she wanted was infinitely simpler. He knew that he wasn't capable of taking the change in their relationship as lightly as she. His emotions had always been his weakest point. Still, he would try to control his feelings, attempt to keep them in check, so that he wasn't devastated when it ended.

And it would end, he thought philosophically. He wasn't an exciting person, by any means. In fact, he had been called boring on more than one occasion. All that remained to be seen was if he could pick up the pieces once it was over. As Yuffie winked outrageously at him, he thought that he just might be able to.

"You are a most unusual woman," he murmured aloud.

"Hmmph. I'm glad somebody finally noticed," she declared with a grin.

He only shook his head, the smile fading, as they approached the place where they had once fought the mighty Sephiroth. Narrowed scarlet eyes scanned the heart of Jenova's Cradle. The last time he'd been here, the Lifestream had lit the entire cavern with its light. Now, the cave was black as night, no light able to penetrate the unnatural darkness that had been left behind by Sephiroth and his 'mother'.

Yuffie stirred at his side, shifting closer as she inhaled sharply. She couldn't see a damned thing, and it made her nervous. She knew that Vincent's enhanced senses could probably see everything, but at just that moment, the knowledge wasn't comforting in the least.

"Do you see anything?" she whispered, and then winced as the miniscule sound seemed to echo throughout the vast cavern.

"Nothing," Vincent answered in kind, even as the shadows seemed to take on a life of their own. He knew that the movement was probably just a trick of his imagination, or maybe even how the air currents were being affected by their own movements. It still put him on edge. "Do you have the searchlight?"

"Yeah, I've got it." Yuffie pulled out the large flashlight and switched it on, grimacing as the powerful light barely penetrated the darkness surrounding them. "I don't like this, Vincent. Something's off. It just feels. . .wrong in here."

"I sense it, too," he returned quietly. And he did. There was something in the shadows, lying in wait, ready to spring at a moment's notice. He didn't know why they hadn't been attacked before now, but he wasn't taking any chances with their safety.

"I'll go investigate," he told her, checking Cerberus to assure himself that it was fully loaded. "Stay here with the light, just in case."

"Hey, I'm not helpless," she hissed with pique. "I'm coming with you!"

"I don't want you to stray from the entrance, Yuffie." He placed his armored hand on her shoulder briefly. "If anything happens to me, I want you to go back for Cloud and the others. Don't try to save me yourself."

"Don't say that!" she told him urgently. "Nothing's going to happen to you, Vincent!"

The unease unfurled into full-blown dread as he felt something inhuman awakening in the shadows. "Be careful," he murmured, his eyes gleaming despite the lack of light. "Let no harm to come to you."

He turned towards the cavern, gun drawn, and ran headlong into the darkness. He heard Yuffie call his name, saw the searchlight swinging wildly as she sought to locate him, but she didn't attempt to follow him, which was what he had feared. Whatever was in here was strong enough to kill them both, he was suddenly sure of it. For some unfathomable reason, it wasn't interested in Yuffie; it wanted _him. _He knew that as surely as he knew that whatever was coming was _not_ Sephiroth.

Vincent slowed his pace, knowing that there sheer drop-offs that could swallow a man instantly and leave no trace of him. He kept the Cerberus out before him, very much afraid that it wouldn't be enough. But so long as he kept Yuffie safe from harm, it didn't matter what happened to him. He would either survive or perish. It was as simple as that.

A breath of movement to his left had him spinning around, his enhanced senses automatically trying to locate the hidden threat. That he couldn't told him that the either the movement had ceased, or that some kind of magic was in use here.

That shouldn't be possible, Vincent thought uneasily. Cloud had gathered all the materia three years ago, keeping it in a chest that he himself had guarded. He had only lost it once, when Kadaj and his gang of thugs had stolen the chest, knowing that it contained the last bit of Mako magic on The Planet. Cloud had defeated them, as well as a newly reborn Sephiroth, and had distributed the remaining materia among them, his comrades in arms, in an attempt to keep the magic from falling into the wrong hands.

Somehow, something had been missed, or lost, without any of them realizing it. He was certain of it as he drew a deep breath. There was no other explanation for the magic currently flowing through the cavern's vast interior. He could almost _taste_ the Mako used to create the powerful materia, so strong was the sensation, leaving him to wonder how the hell had this happened.

Then, his surroundings changed. The absolute blackness still remained, but it was tinged with a terrifying blue light. He knew what that light signified, though it should not have been possible. The power to open this abyss had died with Nero The Shade.

He felt a presence at his back and whirled around, his eyes widening as the flash of gleaming black filled his sight. He was knocked back, tumbling end over end, his gun sent spinning into the blackness, by the force of a solitary wing. "No," he whispered as he righted himself, "this cannot be."

What appeared to be a man approached him with slow, predatory steps, bathed in iridescent blue light. A slim figure, encased in tight black leather, one thick ebony wing protruding from his left shoulder, came to a halt only inches before him. Mako-blue eyes glowed eerily from beneath a mop of red-brown hair, locking onto him with evident curiosity.

"So, you are Chaos," the stranger said, his deep voice reverberating through the void. "It is you who defeated Weiss and Omega. You, who granted me my freedom. Somehow, I thought you would be more. . .impressive."

Vincent merely returned his stare silently. He didn't care if this creature was impressed with him or not. He could only hope that Yuffie had done as he'd asked, and returned to the airship. He couldn't stand the thought that she might be trapped in this nothingness, screaming silently while he traded insults with this beast.

And, he didn't her to witness this confrontation. There were things that no one needed to know about him. Especially, not those he called 'friend'.

He rose to his feet with slow, cautious movements, never taking his eyes off this new nightmare. He recognized the monster from the reports he had found scattered throughout Deep Ground's headquarters. Genesis, or "G", as he had more commonly been called, had been created alongside Sephiroth as part of the Jenova Project. And although the reports had been vague, they had hinted that Genesis had ties to Deep Ground, as well.

"What have you done with the girl?" he asked, his too-deep voice laced with menace. If this fiend had hurt Yuffie. . .

"Nothing. The human is safe, trapped on the other side of the abyss." Genesis' expression showed amusement as he added, "Though why you concern yourself with such a creature is beyond me."

Vincent only shrugged, the casual gesture masking a very real relief. "You are Genesis," was all he said in response.

"And you are Chaos," the monster returned in mocking tones.

"Not anymore." Vincent cast a surreptitious glance around him, hoping to locate his favorite weapon _before_ the battle began. "Chaos died with Omega."

"Did he?" Genesis smiled a shark's smile before extending one gloved hand. "Is this what you search for, brother?"

The Cerberus flew out of the shadows and into that outstretched hand. He watched with deceptively calm ruby eyes as the other man inspected the gun. He wanted nothing more than to rip his father's weapon out of the beast's hands, but he wouldn't get any information if he precipitated battle now.

"Why do you rely on such an unnecessary weapon?" The Nightmare asked with genuine perplexity. "Do you not realize that _you_ are all the weapon you will ever need? Or have you spent so much time in the world of humans that you have lost yourself?"

"I know who I am," Vincent replied evenly.

"Do you?" Genesis tossed the Cerberus to him, laughing as he snatched the gun out of mid-air. "You are a strange one, brother."

Vincent holstered the Cerberus with calm, deliberate motions. "Why do you call me that?" he asked flatly. "There is no blood between us."

"Blood, no." Black-clad shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. "Ours is a much deeper bond, Chaos. We are alike, you and I. Can you not feel the truth of my words?"

"I am nothing like you," came the harsh response.

"That is where you are wrong." The being known as Genesis went still, his too-handsome features taking on an inward cast. "Your humans draw near, brother. Shall we barter for their lives?"

The Cerberus was drawn in an instant, all three barrels leveled on the creature's head. "Stay away from my friends," he all but growled. "They have nothing to do with this."

"You are wrong. There is one among them who has everything to do with this." Genesis stepped forward, ignoring the gun now pressed against his forehead, his unnaturally bright eyes locked onto Vincent's. "Tell me, Chaos, do your humans know what you truly are?"

Vincent jerked away, unable to check the motion, putting much-needed space between himself and The Nightmare. "They know enough."

"I thought not." Genesis smiled wolfishly and let him withdraw. "They will betray you, Chaos. You must know that."

"No," Vincent said with a slight shake of his head. "They are my friends."

"They are _human,_" the other man sneered. "Their kind cannot be trusted."

"You are wrong," he returned simply.

Genesis tilted his dark head to one side in mock consideration. "Then, why have you not trusted them with the truth of you?" he inquired archly.

"Enough talk." Vincent shifted the Cerberus slightly, desperate to end the conversation before Cloud and the others found a way into the void. "Tell me what you're doing here, and why you stole Weiss' body."

Genesis merely laughed, the mad sound reminiscent of Sephiroth, and Vincent had had enough. He wasn't going to get any answers here, and he wanted this to be over. A slight narrowing of crimson eyes was all the warning he gave the beast as he pulled the trigger. He jumped to one side immediately, firing as he went, hoping to keep the other man off-balance. Instead, Genesis curled that cursed wing around him, using it to deflect the bullets.

Vincent watched with a sense of fatalism as each bullet bounced harmlessly off the appendage. The abyss around them began to dissipate, the light from Yuffie's searchlight penetrating the darkness, and he cursed fluidly. He'd known, he thought as he raced through the shadows, still firing, that he couldn't take Genesis. He'd hoped to buy some time for his friends, so that they could overwhelm the beast with sheer numbers, but he was too powerful. Cloud, for all that he was a warrior of the highest order, wasn't capable of defeating this monster. Unlike Sephiroth, this one wanted something more than to make him suffer. He wouldn't waste his time fighting with the former Soldier; he would just kill Cloud and move on.

That was something he wouldn't allow, Vincent thought firmly. Somehow, he would find a way to distract this creature long enough to save his friends' lives. If Genesis wanted _him,_ then he would get him, but no more.

"Vincent!"

"Hang on, Vince. We're comin'!"

"Yo, we'll kill that bitch for you!"

He cursed again as he heard the voices of those he cared for coming closer. He didn't bother to shout a warning, merely reloaded and moved deeper into the shadows, away from his friends, hoping to keep The Nightmare's attentions focused solely on him. Genesis' glowing blue orbs followed his every movement, peering at him from beneath his wing. It didn't matter how many bullets he spent, the creature refused to move, and Vincent was terrified for his friends, who even now were rushing headlong into death.

He lowered the Cerberus, though he didn't put it away. "What do you want from me?" he yelled at last, his too-deep voice going no farther than the object of his query.

"Ah, you are ready to barter, now?" came the pleased response.

Vincent curled one lip in sheer disgust. "No games," he said harshly. "Tell me what it will take to save my friends' lives."

Genesis willed his wing away from his body, leaving himself temporarily defenseless. "You," he said simply.

"Fine." Vincent holstered the gun and began to walk towards him. "You've got me. Now, let the others live."

"As you wish." Genesis flung his wing out, using his power to reform the black abyss. "Your humans are now beyond us, brother."

"No." Vincent stopped just out of reach, his right hand clenching into a fist at his side. "Cloud is entering void."

"You can feel that, can you?" The monster looked pleased as he raised one hand and made a shooing motion. "He is gone--for now."

Vincent sensed the truth of his words and exhaled harshly. "Tell me what you want from me," he entreated from between clenched teeth.

Genesis made another gesture, and a portal appeared to their left. In it, Vincent saw the impossible. Weiss and Nero of the Tsviets were alive, though Weiss was connected to some kind of machine. A blond man in black clothing stood over him, a pair of dark sunglasses concealing his gaze. Another man stood a few feet away, his scarred face wearing a sneer, as he toyed with a large knife, looking out of place in the sterile laboratory.

"What is this?" Vincent asked quietly.

"Our family," Genesis said almost proudly. "Our brothers, Chaos, and those who strive to keep them alive."

"You're insane," he stated.

"Perhaps," the beast allowed musingly. "I spent ten years on the other side, adapting to a strange new world, learning to survive its harshness. I was trapped, with no hope of escape, until you yourself freed me."

"How?" he asked roughly.

Genesis nodded towards the rippling portal. "When you defeated Weiss, you added his power to mine, making me strong enough to overcome the barrier between both worlds."

So, it's _my_ fault you are here, Vincent thought with guilt. Aloud, he merely said, "You haven't answered my question."

Genesis shrugged once. "We need you, Chaos. We need the power buried inside of you."

"Chaos is dead," he responded as calmly as he could. "I've already told you that."

"No, brother. Chaos lives still."

The Nightmare raised one gloved hand, palm-out, and Vincent's entire body stiffened. An all-too familiar feeling pervaded him, the rush of power something he had hoped never to experience again. He could feel the transformation taking place, even as his human senses fought to control it. Pain rushed through him, staggering in its intensity, triggered by his refusal to accept the powerful being who dwelt within him.

He dropped to his knees, doubled-over as he felt Chaos emerge from the very depths of his soul. _"No!"_ he roared, wincing at the inhuman growl his voice had become. "Make it stop!"

Genesis frowned, torn between his fascination with the change, and the other man's obvious agony. "It should not hurt," he murmured, half to himself. "Why is he in pain?"

He hesitated for a moment longer before finally lowering his hand. His frown deepened as Chaos withdrew, the transformation reversing, leaving only Vincent Valentine in its place. He watched as his brother slumped to the floor, a fine sheen of sweat covering his pale skin, his entire body wracked with violent shudders. The other man was exhausted, his ruby eyes half-closed, as he made repeated attempts to push himself to his feet.

Genesis reached into his leather vest and withdrew a small herbal compound. "Consume that. It will restore your strength."

Vincent ignored the small, square packet as he struggled to regain his footing. He was devastated, his world collapsing around him, as he realized that he had been wrong. Chaos was not dead, it simply slumbered inside of him. Instead of becoming more human, as he had believed, he remained the same monster he had always been.

In the end, it was simply too much for him. Vincent dropped to his back, the effort too great. He gazed up at Genesis with dull crimson eyes. "It's not me you want," he said, his voice a mere wisp of sound. "It's Chaos."

Genesis only shook his head negatively. "You _are_ Chaos, brother. There cannot be one without the other."

Vincent thought back to all he had learned about Lucrecia's theories about Omega and Chaos and knew that he was wrong. Chaos was a separate being, one Lucrecia had somehow merged with him, in a misguided attempt to save his life. He was not Chaos. He was merely a host for the life-form.

"Take it," he rasped, uncaring of the consequences. "Take Chaos and do what you will."

Genesis' frown darkened dramatically. Could it be that his brother truly did not know what he was? he thought incredulously. "You do not understand, brother."

"Nor do I care to." Vincent couldn't mask his anger as he spoke. "If it's Chaos you want, then take it from me. You have the power, so do it."

"Even if such a thing were possible, the attempt would fail, and kill you in the process."

Vincent closed his eyes briefly. "I don't care. I just want it gone."

"It doesn't work that way, Chaos." Genesis knelt beside him as he spoke, picking up the rejected packet. He opened it, revealing a dull brown powder. "You must consume this to regain your strength. I will--"

Vincent used what little strength remained to jerk away from the proffered item. "Just leave me alone, damn you!"

Genesis merely sighed heavily and called on his power. He used it to pin Vincent in place while he forced the herbal compound down his throat. He withdrew once finished, knowing that it would take time for the herbs to take effect. Unfortunately, drawing Chaos out had taken a great deal of his strength. He wouldn't be able to keep the portal open much longer, nor control the void that surrounded them. Had Chaos emerged as planned, he would have been able to siphon energy from him. As it was, he was growing dangerously weak. If he did not accomplish his task soon, he would not be able to keep his promise, and his brother's humans would perish. This was _not_ the way he had hoped their first meeting would go.

He gazed down at his defiant crimson-eyed sibling, amazed by the amount of patience he was exercising. "Time grows short, brother. We must leave this place soon, and join our brethren on the other side."

Vincent glared at him hotly as he rose to his feet, furious now that his strength was returning. "And what of my friends?" he demanded angrily. "Do you expect me to just leave them behind?"

Genesis smiled at that. "The one you call Cloud is more than welcome to join us," he said, his amusement returning. "As for the rest, I have no need of them. If you wish them to live, they will, so long as you cooperate as you have promised."

Vincent glanced at the still-open portal, where Nero The Shade stood at its edge, his reddish gaze fixed on them. "Can he hear us?"

"No."

He drew a deep, bracing breath. "How did you resurrect him?" he asked abruptly. "Before he died, he merged with Weiss, adding to his strength. I defeated them both. How--"

"He is one of us, brother. It was a simple thing to isolate his essence and draw it from Weiss."

Bitter comprehension dawned. "As you did with Chaos," he muttered unhappily.

"Precisely." Genesis' frown returned. "Once we are safe in Umbrella's world, you must tell me why the transformation harmed you. It was not meant to," he added sincerely.

Vincent merely sighed. He had no intention of informing this creature that the pain came from his struggle to keep Chaos locked inside of him. Of course, he had no intention of going to this other world with him, either. He was going to trick the beast into the portal, and then use whatever means necessary to close it--even if it meant giving Chaos free reign.

"Let me send my friends away," he said at length. "Hide yourself, and let me convince them to return to the Shera. I will go with you willingly, so long as I know they will be safe."

"And will your humans listen to you?" Genesis' was shaking his head, and Vincent knew that his ruse hadn't worked. His next words confirmed it. "I think not, brother. Go through the portal with me now, or I draw them all into the abyss."

Panic leapt through him, though he did his best to hide it. "They won't survive that," he pointed out in a surprisingly even tone.

"No, they won't." Genesis took a step closer, and Vincent noted that the light in his eyes had dimmed considerably. "Come with me, brother. Allow me to spare the humans you protect so diligently, and keep my word to _you_."

Vincent glanced beyond him, where even now he could feel Cloud as he attempted to break through the unseen barrier Genesis had created. They were all trying to free him. He knew it even though he couldn't see them. His friends were as protective of him as he was of them. And now, he was being forced to leave them in order to save their lives.

"Will I ever see them, again?" he asked finally, thinking of Lucrecia and all he had already lost.

"Of course," Genesis replied, adding, "We only linger in Umbrella's world because of Weiss' health. Once he has recovered, we will return here, to our own world. We will rule it as a family, as we were meant to."

Vincent knew then that he could never allow Genesis to return. Unlike Sephiroth, who had been determined to destroy The Planet, this one wanted to become its king. Vincent could only shudder as he imagined what this monster, with his hatred of humans, would do to their world. No, it was better to follow him through the portal, and find a way to destroy it from the other side, so that this nightmare would never return.

His heart wept as he said his silent goodbyes to the unique family he had so briefly been a part of. He thought of Yuffie and the arrangement she had so casually suggested and closed his eyes. He had nearly had it all, he thought with sorrow. Friends, a home with Cid and Shera, and a woman to share his life with. And now, it was all just. . .gone.

So be it, he thought bleakly. If this was what it took to keep them safe, then he would do it. No sacrifice was too great for his friends. "Let's go," he said shortly, turning towards the rippling threshold.

Genesis studied him closely, a slow smile creeping across his handsome features. "You will not regret this, brother."

Vincent cast him a dark look but didn't respond. He just wanted this done, so he could kill the monster, and grieve for his loss. He walked beside the being who called itself Genesis, watching with barely leashed impatience as he came to a halt before the dimensional portal. "Why have we stopped?"

Genesis' expression showed genuine regret as he said, "I have expended nearly all of my magic, Chaos. I must close the abyss, now."

Vincent's eyes widened as he realized just what that meant. "You promised not to hurt them!"

"And I won't, so long as they don't try to harm me."

He cursed fluidly as their surroundings changed once again. He heard his friends calling for him, wincing as the rapid retort of Barret's gun drowned out their calls. Genesis took several hits before retreating behind his wing, his expression changing to one of loathing, and Vincent knew that he was going to go back on his word, and kill his friends.

"No!" he shouted, grabbing the other man in a desperate hold. He used all of his inhuman strength to lift the one-winged creature and hurled him into the portal. He drew the Cerberus and prepared to follow, determined to end this if he could. The gateway began to undulate, contracting and expanding in an unstable manner, as the scene behind it began to change.

Genesis was still there, his expression promising retaliation, as he rose to his feet. His surroundings, however, had changed dramatically. Gone was the laboratory and its medical machines. In its place was what appeared to be a crate-filled warehouse, where two opposing armies faced one another in a gun battle.

Bullets from those unfamiliar guns flew around Genesis as he rushed towards the gateway. Vincent raised the Cerberus and began to fire, satisfaction filling him when several struck their target. And not only his own, he realized as the creature's body began to twitch under the impact of multiple blows. Genesis covered himself with his wing, momentarily rendering those bullets useless, and extended a hand.

Vincent was pulled off his feet, his body no longer his own, as he was drawn into the vortex. He heard Yuffie scream his name but was unable to respond. Genesis had drawn him into the other world, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, who are the property of Capcom and Square-Enix, respectively.

Synopsis: If you've played Dirge Of Cerberus, and you got the secret ending, you'll have an idea of what I'm planning. If not, you'll figure it out soon enough.

Author's Note: Welcome to the wonderful world of Umbrella, Inc.. Almost makes you miss Shinra, doesn't it:) Beta'd by Littlehouseinthewoods.

* * *

Chapter Two

Vincent hit the ground hard, rolling to minimize the impact, and came up shooting. He watched with astonishment as Genesis' wing retracted, disappearing into the beast's shoulder, drawing a cry of pain from him. Genesis fled, disappearing through a door on the far side of the room. Vincent followed, dodging gunfire, until the barrage of bullets became too great. He took refuge behind a large stack of crates, wincing as he felt a bullet whiz past his cheek. He immediately reloaded the Cerberus, snapped the gun closed, and took stock of the situation.

To his right, a large army of armor-clad soldiers fired machine guns. To his left, a small band of perhaps eight or nine people responded with nothing more than simple handguns. Unlike the larger force, these people looked harried and more than a little frightened. Whoever they were, they weren't the aggressors here, and simple fact tipped the scales in their favor.

He cast a regretful look at the place where the portal had once been before casting himself into the fray. He jumped on top of the crate he'd been using as cover and began to fire. The armored soldiers began to drop, surprising him with the ease with which they died. He didn't dwell on it, merely took advantage of the fact. He leapt into the air, pulling the trigger and killing more of them. He landed, reloading as he ducked behind a large crane-like machine.

Vincent glanced behind him, where the smaller army was beginning to gain ground. Five of them were wearing similar uniforms, some kind of leggings in a light olive-green, a crest that had the word S.T.A.R.S. emblazoned on the short sleeves of their blue-gray tunics. There were three others in what appeared to be similar body armor, but their uniforms were slightly different. Solid gray leggings, gray tunics, and black armored vests were their only protection. No mark or insignia decorated their uniforms, and he was left to conclude that they were allies of the others, not an actual part of the army.

Which meant that they needed all the help they could get, Vincent surmised. Until he found a way to kill Genesis and ensure that the portal would never again be opened, he would assist them in their endeavor, provided that they weren't on the wrong side of good.

One of the last three, a man with slicked-back reddish-brown hair, came out of hiding long enough to throw a grenade. He ducked back behind his crate, but not before one of the opposing soldiers rushed him. He was firing his silver gun into the other's armor, but a telltale click told Vincent that he was out of ammunition. Vincent quickly traded the Cerberus for the Hydra and took careful aim. He took the aggressor down with a bullet to the back of the head, only absently noting the stranger's stunned expression as he lowered the weapon.

Vincent nodded once in acknowledgement, traded the Hydra for the Griffin, and stepped out into the open. He used the fully automatic machine gun to mow down the opposing forces, moving only when a panicked shot came too close to him. He heard the retorts of several guns and quickly glanced around him. Those he had chosen to help had returned the favor, flanking him in an attempt to provide him with cover-fire. Yes, he thought as he hastily loaded a fresh magazine, he had chosen the right side in this conflict.

Minutes later, he lowered the smoking gun, expressionless as he surveyed the carnage. Bodies were strewn everywhere, sprawled in whatever odd angle they had died in. While he had no way of knowing just who these people were, that didn't matter now. They were gone, returned to the Lifestream which had given them life. They were a part of this world's cycle of life and death and rebirth.

He couldn't know just how true his thoughts were as he put the Griffin away and approached the man he'd just saved. "Are you all right?" he inquired solicitously as he drew closer.

Billy Coen nodded slowly, his dark blue eyes narrowed on his bizarrely dressed savior. "It's a little early for Halloween, isn't it?" he asked caustically.

Vincent merely gazed at him, unfamiliar with the term. He watched as the other soldiers drew close, their handguns now aimed at _him._ He tensed in anticipation, but didn't draw a weapon. There distrust was understandable. For all that he had helped them, he was still an unknown factor in this.

"Billy!" A short, slender girl with green eyes ran to the stranger, stopping just short of him. "Are you okay? Are you hit?"

"I'm fine, Rebecca." The one called Billy shifted closer to her as he gestured with the Magnum in his hands. "I've got this guy to thank that."

Those pale green eyes widened dramatically as Rebecca Chambers got her first good look at Vincent Valentine. "Billy. . ."

"I know, sweetheart." Billy jerked his chin in Vincent's direction, his cobalt eyes full of distrust. "What's with the eyes?"

One sable brow shot upwards in response. He usually got a much different response to his brilliantly-colored gaze. "Nothing," he said at length, and then winced as he thought of the mako-induced glow in The Nightmare's own gaze. "They're not blue, are they?"

"Uh, no, they're red."

Vincent exhaled with obvious relief. "Then, what's the problem?"

A snort sounded to his right, and he turned find an attractive woman with red hair and vivid blue eyes glaring at him. "Red eyes aren't exactly normal," she pointed out with a touch of hostility.

She traded an uneasy glance with the tall, dark-haired man standing beside her. He looked grim as he raised his own weapon slightly. "Are you a B.O.W.?" he said harshly.

Another term he was not familiar with, Vincent thought with a sigh. "I'm no bow. Whatever that means here," he muttered under his breath.

A blond man with pleasant features and light blue eyes laughed at that. "I don't think he's a threat, Chris."

"And what if you're wrong?" This question came from an attractive brunette who's build reminded him of Tifa's. "He might not even know that he's been altered, Leon."

Leon Kennedy shrugged, the casual gesture belying the words that followed. "Then, he's just another monster that we have to kill, Jill."

"_Mierda."_ A slender man with bronze skin crossed his arms over his chest, his too-pretty features turning sour. "He did help us, you know."

"And that's why he's still standing, Carlos," said an older man with a graying beard.

Vincent's eyes narrowed slightly at that. "I'm no threat to you. If I'd wanted to harm you, you'd already be dead."

"After watching you take out these assholes," a thumb was jerked in the general direction of the dead soldiers, "I believe you. Thanks for saving my ass, by the way. The name's Billy."

"Vincent Valentine," Vincent returned simply.

"Well, Vincent Valentine, why don't you tell me how you and the guy with the wing dropped out of thin air and into _our_ fight?"

He shrugged with unconscious elegance, shifting the butter-soft cloak slightly. "That was Genesis' doing. Somehow, he managed to open a dimensional portal between your world and mine."

"A portal," Leon repeated, his doubt obvious.

"What is this, bad sci-fi?" Claire Redfield tossed her head, the effect ruined somewhat by her ponytail. "I mean, seriously!"

Vincent frowned at the obvious skepticism. "It took a great deal of power and magic for him to do so, but yes--seriously."

"Whoa, there." Jill Valentine stepped forward, her blue-gray eyes locking onto his. "Did you say _magic_?"

"Yes," he answered, his own confusion deepening. "Somehow, he was able to either use or add mako energy to his own powers. I'm not sure how, unless he had materia, but--"

"What's mako?"

His frowned deepened as the man called Chris cut him off. "Energy taken from the Lifestream," he answered, his tone suggesting that it should have been obvious.

The petite woman with the pale green eyes spoke up. "What's a life stream?"

Vincent sighed with frustration. This world was _very_ different from his own. "The Lifestream flows beneath The Planet. We are born from it, and we return to it in death. Mako is the physical essence of the Lifestream. When it is harvested and condensed, it becomes powerful magic materia."

"Ooookay." Claire shook her head negatively, the ponytail swinging wildly. "He's crazy, Chris."

"No, I don't think he is, Claire." Chris Redfield studied the unusual stranger for several tense moments before extending his hand. "Chris Redfield, captain of S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team."

Vincent eyed the proffered hand before reaching out. He clasped the other man's forearm, noting the surprise that flashed through his blue eyes, and realized that they shook hands differently here. "A pleasure, Captain."

"Likewise, Mr. Valentine."

A faint smile touched his lips. "It's just Vincent."

"Vincent, then." Chris gestured towards the woman who reminded him of Tifa so greatly. "This is my second-in-command, Jill Valentine."

Vincent raised both brows upon hearing that, but didn't comment. It was an unusual name, but not an exclusive one. She didn't offer her hand, and neither did he. She wasn't nearly as trusting as her captain, judging by the suspicion in her hazy eyes. He settled for a slight bow, acknowledging her without contact, as she seemed to prefer.

She inclined her head in return, and that was enough for him. "This is Carlos Olivera and Barry Burton," she said shortly, gesturing towards the dark-skinned man and the older one, respectively.

The red-head stepped forward, her manner bold as she thrust her hand out. "My name's Claire, Claire Redfield."

"Claire," he acknowledged, careful to shake her hand in the manner that she so obviously expected.

"So, you were serious about all that magic stuff?"

"Very," he returned with just a hint of dryness.

Claire grinned at that. "Cool."

Vincent managed a small smile in return, and then turned as he felt a presence at his back. It was the petite girl again, her expression one of fascination as she gazed up at him. "You're eyes are hereditary, aren't they?" she asked unexpectedly.

He nodded slowly, thinking back through the years, Lucrecia's words dominating his memory. "I've been told that I have my father's eyes."

She nodded, her expression thoughtful, as she said, "My name's Rebecca Chambers. I'm a medic," she said, adding, "I used to be a member of S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team."

Vincent realized that that was supposed to be significant, but had no way of knowing why. "Indeed?" was all that he said, sticking with a polite query.

"That doesn't mean anything to you, does it?" Rebecca asked, sorrow tingeing her words.

"No, I'm afraid not," he returned as gently as he could.

Billy came up behind her, setting a hand on her shoulder. The familiarity of the gesture suggesting that they were more than simple comrades. She touched his hand and flashed him a sad smile. He pressed a kiss to that hand, and Vincent looked away out of respect. Some things were not meant for public consumption.

"Hey, you forgot about me." Leon approached them with a smile, effectively ruining the moment.

Billy snorted, though his own smile suggested that they were friends. "You'll live, pretty boy."

He only laughed and extended his own hand. "Leon Kennedy," he said, surprising Vincent as he grasped his forearm in a warrior's clasp. "Thanks, for the back-up, Vincent. Billy's a little slow on the draw sometimes."

"Bite me, Leon." It was said with affection, though. "It's not my fault I ran out of ammo."

Leon shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest, absently fingering the hilt of the knife that protruded from an obviously custom-made shoulder holster. "You could try using a gun that holds more than six bullets, Coen."

Billy gave him a one-finger salute, which caused Rebecca to burst out laughing. "Billy!" she exclaimed. "That wasn't a very nice thing to do."

"That's probably because he's not a nice man, Becca," Leon responded dryly.

She rolled her eyes at that. "He's just as nice as you are, Leon. He's not as pretty, but he's nice," she added with a sniff.

"Hey!" Billy pulled her back against him, making her squeal as he hugged her tightly. "You're not supposed to notice how pretty Kennedy is, doll face."

"I'm not dead, Billy," she shot right back, muttering as she added, "Just married."

Vincent couldn't help but smile at the exchange. These people reminded him of his own friends, and the way that they all interacted. True friendship was rare, and it was only further proof that he had done the right thing by helping them.

Billy raised his head, the smile shaping his thin lips dying. "So, why don't you tell us about the guy with the wing."

"Genesis." Vincent exhaled harshly, wondering just how to describe such a being to people who had no knowledge of magic. "Fifty-eight years ago, Shinra Incorporated found a geological stratum containing a two-thousand-year-old life form. That named that life form Jenova, thinking that it was one of an early race that they called The Ancients. They discovered that, although Jenova was incomplete, it had somehow survived its imprisonment. They decided that its regenerative properties had value, and began human experimentation in the Shinra Mansion in Nibelheim."

"Shit," Leon muttered, thinking of both Umbrella and the Los Illuminados. "_That_ sounds familiar."

"Yeah, it does," Claire agreed grimly.

"And this Genesis is the result of this experiment?" Chris asked in a quiet voice.

"Among others. Sephiroth was the first, I believe." Vincent gazed at them, wondering why they showed no disbelief. "I take it this isn't an unusual occurrence here?"

"No, as much as I wish it was otherwise." Jill traded a sorrow-laden look with the older man she called Barry, who only shook his head silently. She turned back to Vincent, her classic features showing curiosity. "You said there were others. Did these experiments cause an epidemic in your. . .world?"

"Of sorts." He sighed heavily, more memories of Lucrecia and the inexplicable choice she had made returning to haunt him. "One of the scientists participating in the Jenova Project chose to use her unborn child as a test subject."

There were several horrified gasps, and Vincent couldn't blame them. He'd been dismayed by Lucrecia's decision, but in the end had accepted it. If it was what she wanted, he had no right to stop her. Or so he'd believed at the time. As the years had passed, and their lives had been changed so dramatically, he had realized just what a mistake his silence had been. If he had spoken up, voiced his misgivings right there and then, Lucrecia might not have gone through with it. But as an ex-lover, he hadn't believed that he had the right to protest, and his silence had set in motion a chain of events that had nearly destroyed The Planet.

"Sephiroth was created then," he continued at length. "They infused the unborn child with Jenova's cells, monitored its progress throughout the pregnancy, then confiscated the child after its birth. Sephiroth was raised by Shinra, trained in the art of warfare, the best and brightest SOLDIER had to offer. Until the day he discovered the truth behind his birth."

Carlos muttered an expletive under his breath. "Went a little _loco_ then, didn't he?" At Vincent's inquiring glance, he said, "It means crazy."

Vincent nodded, his black hair swaying with the motion. "Sephiroth went mad, and burned the town of Nibelheim to the ground. His hatred of humans began then, and has never abated."

"And this Genesis guy?" Billy asked grimly.

"He shares a similar hatred, though I don't believe the two have ever met."

"You don't sound too sure about that," Barry said with a frown.

"I'm not," Vincent said apologetically. "Until five weeks ago, I had no idea Genesis even existed. I certainly hadn't expected to find him in the Northern Cave. Sephiroth, perhaps, but not another."

Chris took another step forward, his midnight blue grim as he said, "You said there were others. How many?"

Vincent only shook his head, more memories flashing through his mind. This time, he saw all of the remnants that Sephiroth first called, and then slaughtered. "There were hundreds," he murmured hoarsely. "Sephiroth called the others clones, the remnants of Jenova, to the Northern Crater. He called it Reunion. He killed all but one of them."

"And the one he didn't kill?"

He smiled faintly. "The lone survivor was the one who ultimately destroyed him."

"Wait a minute," Claire declared, a frown marring her lovely features. "If this Sephiroth was destroyed, why were you expecting to find him in this cave? Are you sure he was dead the first time?"

Vincent made a frustrated sound and attempted to explain. "The other remnants had been released into the world. They married, had children, lived normal lives. It wasn't until Sephiroth reappeared five years after his 'death' that they felt the call. Cloud felt it too, but didn't realize it. We were pursuing Sephiroth as a part of our own quest, after all."

"That doesn't answer my question," she pointed out with the first signs of irritation.

Chris frowned at her. "Claire, let the man speak." She snapped her mouth closed, and he nodded. "Go ahead, Vincent."

"Jenova can never truly be destroyed. It regenerates at an amazing rate. When the time is right, it sends out a call on a genetic level, and all of its pieces are compelled to return to the source. Jenova is not human, so it must choose a human form. Sephiroth was the strongest of the remnants, so he is the form it chooses to assume. Like Jenova itself, he can never truly die, so long as any portion of Jenova remains."

"Well, that sucks," Leon mumbled with a shake of his tawny head. "So, since one of the clones killed him and lived to tell about it, you can't really destroy this Sephiroth, right?"

"It's not only Cloud. The other remnants bred, and their children carry the mometic legacy." Vincent crossed his arms over his chest, his expression becoming pensive. "There were other experiments, not just the Jenova Project. One was a group of super-soldiers called the Tsviets. They were using dangerously high levels of mako to enhance human soldiers. When they made a bid for The Planet, we stopped them. I found a series of reports scattered throughout their underground base, referring to a being called "G", who was created at the same time Sephiroth was."

"Christ." Billy raked a hand through his hair, drawing attention to the tattoo running down the entire length of his arm. "And that's where Genesis comes in, right?"

"Yes. He is an unknown factor, yet I fear he's as great a threat as Sephiroth ever was. If not more so," he added in a murmur. He turned back towards the bodies of the fallen, his crimson eyes narrowing slightly. "Tell me why you were fighting them with such a small force."

"Because we're it." Chris approached the bodies with cautious steps, almost as though he expected them to revive and attack. "They worked for Umbrella Incorporated, a pharmaceutical company whose real profits came from the bio-weapons they secretly produced. There was a series of bizarre, cannibalistic murders in the Arklay Mountains, just outside of Raccoon City. S.T.A.R.S. was sent in to investigate. We," he gestured towards his comrades, "are all that is left of the Alpha and Bravo teams."

"Umbrella was working on the Tyrant Virus in the Arklay Mountains," Rebecca added quietly. "One of their scientists leaked the virus, and an outbreak followed."

Jill nodded, her classic features reflecting sorrow as she stepped forward. "No one believed us. We had lost five of our fellow soldiers--our friends--in the mountains, and they just laughed at us. Then, the T-Virus made its way to Raccoon City, and the outbreak began."

"Yeah, and I walked right into the middle of it," Claire inserted ruefully.

"Me, too." Leon flashed her a crooked smile and explained, "I was a rookie with the Raccoon Police Department. It was my first night on the job. I stopped to help a wounded woman, and that's all it took. I was trapped with no way out, and zombies on every side of me."

"God, I hate zombies," Claire added with a shudder.

Leon nodded emphatically. "You're not the only one, sweetheart."

Well, that explained why Redfield was eyeing the corpses like he expected to be attacked, Vincent thought with a wince. He hadn't enjoyed the few run-ins he'd had with them back home, either. Aloud, he only said, "And those were Umbrella forces you were fighting?"

"_Si,"_ Carlos said shortly.

Vincent took that as a yes. "Then, we shouldn't linger here any longer. Let's move on."

Billy snorted, crossing his muscular arms over his chest. "And you're going to help us, just like that?"

"Yes," Vincent answered simply.

"What about Birdman? You didn't forget about him, did you?" he asked sarcastically.

"Genesis will come to me, Billy. Until then, I will assist you in your endeavors."

"Why will he come to you?" Jill asked, unable to mask her suspicion.

"Because he needs me to revive Weiss," came the odd answer.

"Huh?"

Vincent sighed, drew the Cerberus, and began to load it. "For some reason, he believes that he needs me to save a fatally-ill soldier that he calls brother. He is wrong, but that didn't stop him from drawing me to the Northern Cave for a confrontation, and it won't keep him from coming for me again. Until he does, I will help you stop Umbrella. Is that acceptable?"

The S.T.A.R.S. members all looked to Redfield, who inclined his head once. Billy and Rebecca looked to Leon, who did the same. Vincent relaxed as he closed the Cerberus and brought it up before him. "Lead the way. I will follow."

"We're making our way towards the lower levels, where we suspect the B.O.W.s are being kept," Chris informed him. "We'll try to find concrete proof that Umbella's up to their old tricks."

"We'll be taking a different route, " Leon said, gesturing to Billy and Rebecca as he spoke. "We're going to find the facility's self-destruct system, and blow this place to hell."

"And Wesker along with it,"Jill uttered, venom lacing her voice.

"We'll find a way to end this, Jill." Chris set a comforting hand on her shoulder as he spoke. "We won't let Wesker win."

"Amen," Barry muttered tiredly.

A faint sound at his back had Vincent whirling around, his gun sweeping the large room. Even as he watched, one of the dead soldiers began to move, his movements jerky and uncoordinated as he slowly rose to his feet. Vincent didn't think twice about pulling the trigger. Three shots hit the reanimated corpse in the torso, the fourth striking his combat helmet. The helmet cracked and split open, revealing a horrible sight.

Dried blood covered the man's mouth and chin, mixed with a disgusting slide of fresh saliva. Instead of the blank, lifeless eyes he was expecting, he encountered bright green ones. Then, those eyes changed, taking on an unnaturally reddish cast, intelligence gleaming in those strange garnet depths. What appeared to be blood seeped out of them, crawling over the corpse's pale flesh as though it had a life of its own. The reanimated body opened its mouth, hissed something in a language foreign to him, and rushed towards him with a coordination it shouldn't have possessed.

Vincent aimed for the skull and pulled the trigger, cursing as it ducked to one side at the last possible moment. He was readjusting his aim when several gunshots rang out, all aimed at the dead man's head. He watched dispassionately as the corpse dropped to the ground, and then took several steps back as the body began to twitch disturbingly. The zombie's skull began to undulate, tiny cracks appearing near the crown of it. It burst open violently, showering the ground at their feet in a flood of coagulated blood.

A small, insect-like creature emerged, using all six of its legs to push its way out of the damaged skull. It finally burst out of its host, those legs flailing wildly until they found purchase on the ground. It began to scuttle towards them, spitting a disturbing green mist, then leapt for the nearest target.

A grunt sounded as the older man backpedaled and began to fire into the creature. Vincent hit it several times, as did the others, surprising him with the amount of damage it was taking, before it finally dropped to the ground. It landed on its back, those insectoid legs whipping uselessly through the air, squealing disturbingly as it finally died.

Vincent reloaded the Cerberus and stepped towards it, keeping the gun trained on the strange monster. On the stomach, he noted a large mouth-like appendage, filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth, and shuddered. Not the way he would have chosen to go!

"Your zombies are rather unusual," he said in gross understatement.

"That's the Las Plagas," Leon muttered, his expression grim. "If I come across Wesker, I'm going to kill him myself for doing this."

"Las Plagas?" Vincent asked with a frown.

"It means 'The Plague'," Carlos inserted quietly.

"The Las Plagas are--were--parasites." Leon sighed heavily and attempted to explain. "Four years ago, a religious zealot tried to use them in an insane attempt to take over the world. I managed to stop him, but not before one of Wesker's. . . _agents _escaped with a Master Plaga sample."

"Wesker's been experimenting ever since," Billy added dourly. "Somehow, he's managed to merge the parasite with one of the viruses. I'm betting it was 'T'."

"It certainly looked like it," Chris muttered angrily.

"Yeah, it did."

Vincent glanced at the older man--Barry, he reminded himself--who was sweating as he reloaded his small handgun. He thought of Cid, who refused to show fear no matter how scared he truly was, and sighed quietly. He missed his friends already, which did not bode well for his future. He would never see them again, and he had to find a way to put them out of his mind, before he drove himself crazy. He would always grieve for the loss of his family, but he couldn't allow himself to dwell on it. Not if he wanted to survive.

Vincent chastised himself even as he pulled the PHS off his belt. He flipped it open, hitting a button as he checked for a signal. He wasn't surprised when it failed to locate one. It had been a long shot, anyway. He caught the amused expressions of his new allies and shrugged as he put the phone away. "It was worth a shot," was all he said.

"You live in a world with magic _and_ cell phones?" Claire commented incredulously. "Talk about the best of both worlds!"

Something in her manner reminded him of Yuffie, and he hastily thrust the thought away. Survival, he reminded himself grimly. He would keep himself alive long enough to destroy both Genesis and this facility, and then he would worry about the future--as much as he ever did, anyway.

Vincent checked his ammunition supply and scowled. He was fully stocked, but if this last monster was any indication, it wouldn't last long. He glanced back at the bodies, and the numerous weapons littering the surrounding area, and sighed with displeasure. He hated having to use unfamiliar guns. You never knew when they were going to jam at a crucial moment, and endanger your life. He had the Death Penalty--his most powerful gun--with him, but he could only use that as Chaos.

No, he told himself, Chaos would remain hidden within him. Genesis had drawn the life form from him with no more than a thought. It stood to reason that he could control it just as easily, and that was a chance Vincent simply couldn't take.

Leon watched the man in the deep red cloak frown as he inspected his inventory. "Do you need ammo?" he asked, quickly pulling the attaché case from his back and laying it on the ground. "I've got plenty, if you do."

Vincent glanced down with surprised ruby eyes as the other man opened the plain black case. "Not yet," he answered honestly. "I was just thinking ahead."

"Yeah." Leon nodded at the dead B.O.W.. "They take a lot of damage, I know."

"Yes," he replied simply, adding, "Thank you, for the offer."

"No problem." Leon reloaded the fully upgraded Blacktail before putting the case away. "Just let me know when you begin to run low, and I'll take care of it."

Vincent nodded, disturbing his raven hair. "I'll accompany your group, if you don't mind."

Billy snorted at that. "Hell no, we don't mind. We could use the back-up."

Claire frowned slightly as she observed them. "Leon, are you sure that's a good idea?" she asked quietly. "We don't really know him, and--"

"It'll be okay, Claire." Leon rose to his feet with a crooked smile. "We could use another gun, and he's already saved Billy's life. I think he can be trusted."

"And if he can't?" she demanded, her cerulean eyes sparking. "What are going to do, then?"

"I'll deal with it," he replied evenly, "the same way I always have."

"What, you're going to let him hold a gun to your head as he escapes with a deadly parasite?" she quipped with sarcasm.

Leon stiffened as the jibe hit home. He didn't like being reminded of Ada, and her betrayal in Spain. To her, it had been professional, just another part of her mission. To him, it had been deeply personal. And even though they had discussed it at length over the last four years, it was still a sore spot with him. "I said, I'll deal with it, Claire. Leave it alone."

Claire closed her mouth with a frustrated sound, but she shut up, which was what he'd wanted. He cast an apologetic glance at his new ally. "Sorry, about that."

Vincent merely shrugged, his shoulders rising and falling beneath the crimson cape. "I'm an unknown element," he said in acknowledgement. "Her reaction is only natural."

"Hey, don't talk about me like I'm not standing right here!" she protested indignantly.

Leon merely rolled his eyes at her. "Give me a break, Claire."

He lowered his head, taking refuge behind his hair, as he fought to hide a smile. Yes, she reminded him more and more of Yuffie with each passing moment. He was sure that under that spirited façade laid a soft heart. Her concern for her friend Leon showed him that. As different as this world undoubtedly was from his own, it wasn't _that_ different.

Leon saw the smile before he could hide it and grinned in response. He cast a questioning glance at Billy, who snorted again but nodded his assent. Rebecca imitated the gesture, her gamine features showing no uncertainty. He turned back to the strangely dressed newcomer, the smile widening, as he brought the Blacktail up before him.

"All right, Vincent Valentine, you're with us. Let's go."

Vincent watched as he glanced at Chris and tapped his ear twice. It was then that he noticed the small black transmitter all but hidden by his tawny bangs. Chris nodded once, mimicked the gesture, and turned away. His small unit followed him, crowded around him protectively, as they disappeared through a small door on the west side of the warehouse.

He turned back to the group he had chosen, his near-perfect features serene. "Shall we?"

Leon chuckled at that. "Yes, we shall," he said in his driest voice. Then, the humor was gone, replaced by a hardness Vincent knew all too well. "Follow me."

Vincent watched as Billy and Rebecca fell in step behind him, each taking a protective position on either side, and he took his place at the rear. It was the same with Cloud, he thought. They had always been there to support him, even when Sephiroth had attempted to destroy his mind by taking control of it. Cloud might have been young, but he'd been their leader, even then. This Leon was the same to those he had chosen to fight with. They followed him without question, and with obvious loyalty.

He wondered briefly why Rebecca had not gone with her S.T.A.R.S. comrades, but the plain gold band on her left hand was an answer in itself. None of the other group had so much as spoken to Billy, although they hadn't shown outright hostility. Perhaps, they didn't approve of the man, or her relationship with him.

Not that it was any of his business, Vincent told himself sternly. He was here to kill Genesis, and destroy the portal. That was the _only_ thing mattered. He was only assisting these strangers because it would lead him to Genesis, and the gateway he needed to destroy. It was simply convenient to follow them, that was all.

They came to a large set of metal doors, each bearing an insignia in the shape of an umbrella. Not what he'd call subtle, Vincent thought with a mental shrug, but Shinra had done the very same thing. They had put the company name on nearly everything they owned, a way to remind the populace of just who it was they dealt with. A simple--but effective--intimidation tactic.

Leon took a position to the right of the doorway, grasping the door handle in one gloved hand. He nodded to Billy, who had done the same, and the doors swung open in tandem. Leon stepped through the doorway, the Blacktail sweeping the room. Billy did the same, crouching just inside the large office, his Magnum cocked and ready.

"Clear," he said flatly.

"Clear," Leon echoed, lowering the gun as he stepped further into the room. A tall filing cabinet was set against the west wall, a junk-filled shelf beside it. There was another door at the far end of the room, a half-empty water cooler beside it. A large wooden desk sat opposite of the cabinet, facing the doorway. A computer sat on its polished surface, a tacky animal screen-saver flashing across the monitor's screen. A chair rested on its side behind it, its position suggesting that whoever had used it left in a hurry.

"Figures," he mumbled under his breath. The warehouse manager had probably taken off at the first sign of trouble, and gone straight to the facility supervisor--Albert Wesker. Of course, the shootout in the warehouse hadn't exactly been subtle, either. "I'll search the desk. Billy, you and Rebecca check the cabinets. See if they left us anything useful. Vincent, you're with me. Do you know anything about computers?"

"A little," Vincent answered, remembering the files he'd had to download in the Deep Ground Headquarters. "But if the files are password protected, I won't be able to help you."

"Then, you take the desk," Leon said, striding to the computer. "If you find anything relating to 'T', 'P'--or any other project--grab it. We need all the intel we can get."

Vincent didn't respond, merely opened the first drawer and began to go through it. Pens, pencils, and other office supplies greeted him, and he grunted in displeasure. He closed the drawer and tried another, finding this one full of facility schedules and past payrolls. He reached for the drawer below it and tugged. It refused to open, and he merely shook his head. A simple lock couldn't keep _him_ out.

Vincent grasped the handle in a firm grip and pulled hard. The drawer flew towards him with a wrenching sound, hitting his shins as it spilled its contents all over the floor at his feet. He looked up to find the others watching him with nearly identical expressions of surprise.

"Sorry," he said with a shrug. "It was locked."

Leon burst out laughing, shaking his tawny head, as he went back to his own task. Billy only watched him for a moment longer before inclining his head and turning away. Rebecca's pale eyes were a little wide as she did the same, and he realized that his enhanced physical senses would be considered unusual here, as well. He would have to careful when using them in the future. His new allies were far from trusting as it was.

Vincent dropped to one knee and began to search the mess he had made. He found several pages with references to both 'T' and 'P' shipments, both received and shipped, as well as something called 'G'. "Leon?"

The other man looked up with an inquiring expression. "I believe I may have found something," he said, holding out the invoices in question.

Leon was at his side in an instant, his youthful features hard as he accepted the papers. _"Shit!" _he exclaimed angrily. "This is even worse than we thought."

Billy dropped the useless file in his hands, trading a concerned look with his wife, and hurried over to him. He and Rebecca crowded around him, each craning their heads for a better look. "Look at that one," he said, pointing to the bottom of the page. "Is that what I think it is?"

"'T/G'," Rebecca murmured. "Isn't that what Duvall used on himself back in '98?"

"Yes, is it," Leon answered grimly. "Bruce said that it gave Morpheus electrical properties. It made him almost invulnerable after he'd injected himself."

"Do you think they've managed to merge it with the Las Plagas, too?" she asked hesitantly.

"God, I hope not," came the uncomforting response.

Billy smiled thinly. "Didn't McGivern say something about this shit turning Duvall into The Blob?"

Leon smiled involuntarily. "Yeah, he did."

"Then, it can't be too fucking smart, regardless of whether or not the bug is involved."

The smile died as quickly as it had formed. "You know how intelligent the Las Plagas are, Billy."

"Yeah, but I'm willing to bet that the test subjects weren't all bright, Leon."

"I hope you're right." Leon shook his head as he folded the papers and tucked them into his vest. "These will help, but we'll need more if we're going to go to The President."

"He'll want samples." Billy snorted at that. "Sometimes, I think Graham's just as bad as Umbrella."

Leon only shrugged. "If he's going to go after a dead corporation, he'll need something concrete to justify it."

"I still don't like it, Leon. We should blow this place, and _everything_ in it."

He didn't answer right away, although his expression said that he agreed. "He's still angry because I left The Service," he said at length. "If I don't bring back a sample or two, he might just press charges against _us _for this little incursion."

"Fucking politicians," Billy muttered with disgust, adding, "I'm not going back to jail, Leon."

Rebecca put a comforting hand on his arm. "You're a hero now, Billy. The President wouldn't dare put you back in prison. The public uproar would irreparably damage his reputation."

Leon nodded vigorously. "Listen to your wife, Coen. She knows what she's talking about. If Graham goes after anyone, it'll be me."

Vincent watched without surprise as the tattooed man merely snorted again and crossed his arms, his fine features showing a combination of obstinance and fear. He was disturbed by the way they talked of this President Graham, and wondered if he was as ruthless as Rufus Shinra. Did this man rule their entire world, or just their portion of it?

"In my world, a man named Rufus Shinra is the President of Shinra." Three heads swiveled in his direction, wearing identical expressions of surprise, and Vincent realized that they had forgotten him. "Does your President not rule Umbrella in the same way?"

"No," Billy answered shortly.

"David Graham is the President of the United States of America. That's the country we're all from," Leon informed him. "A man named Albert Wesker is the one who resurrected Umbrella."

"And part of your quest is to kill him?"

The blond man nodded, his clear blue eyes narrowed with antipathy. "Yeah, that's the idea."

"Wesker was the man who created S.T.A.R.S.," Rebecca said with a sigh. "He lured us into the Spenser Mansion to gain combat data for his B.O.W.s after the T-Virus had been leaked there. He's the one responsible for the deaths of Edward and Enrico; he killed of all my friends and destroyed our lives."

Billy pulled her close, sharing a meaning-filled glance with Leon over her head. "Yeah, he's a walking dead man, sweetheart."

"In more ways than one," Leon added jokingly.

Rebecca gave a strangled laugh, turning her face into Billy's chest. "That's a horrible joke, Leon."

"I try." Leon fought to keep the sympathy out of his expression as he added, "We'll stop him, Rebecca. He won't get away, this time."

She only nodded, her pale green eyes closing briefly. "I hope you're right, Leon."

This Wesker was much like Sephiroth, Vincent thought. He'd turned on those who trusted him, devastating the lives of those who had survived his madness. As he watched Billy comfort his grieving wife, he realized that he could not simply walk away from this. Perhaps, he would be able to carve out a future with these honorable warriors, once he had defeated Genesis, and closed the portal for good.

"Is there anything else we need here?" Vincent asked in the quiet.

Leon glanced at the computer, and then shook his head negatively. "I wasn't having any luck with the pass codes."

"Then, we should probably keep moving." Vincent cast a glance over his shoulder, towards the closed office door. "If all of those soldiers were infected, they'll rise soon enough, and I'd rather not waste my ammunition on them."

Billy's eyes narrowed on him angrily. He opened his mouth to speak, and then shut it as Leon shook his head. "He didn't mean anything, Billy. He's just making a suggestion."

"You're our commander, Leon, no one else."

Vincent's crimson eyes widened with surprise at the hostilely spoken words. "I meant no offense," he said gravely. "If you thought otherwise, I apologize."

"It's no big deal," the muscular man muttered with embarrassment.

"Billy's got authority issues, Vincent. Don't take it personally."

The man in question frowned down at the woman in his arms. "I do not have authority issues, Rebecca."

"Yes, you do," Leon said with a grin. "Don't worry, Coen. I'm still the Big Cheese around here."

Billy laughed suddenly as his mood shifted. "You're not going to turn into a giant centipede now, are you?"

"Fuck you, Coen." Leon flipped him off as his grin widened. He transferred that smile to Vincent as he explained, "Four years ago, the head of a Spanish village transformed during our fight. One of his researchers had called him The Big Cheese. Hence, the bad joke."

"Ah." Vincent allowed himself a small smile. "Cid has a similar sense of humor."

"Cid?" Rebecca questioned with her own smile.

Vincent nodded, his sable hair slithering over his shoulders. "Cid Highwind, The Planet's first astronaut. He's also the Captain of a fleet of airships."

"Is he the one who defeated Sephiroth?" she asked with interest.

"No, that honor belongs to Cloud," he answered with obvious affection. "Cid is a pilot. Cloud and the others met him in Rocket Town while they were tracking Sephiroth. He had a grudge against Shinra because they had cancelled the Space Program's funding, and he joined them in their quest."

"Their quest?" Leon frowned faintly. "I thought it was your quest, too."

Vincent's handsome features closed instantly. "I didn't meet them until much later, when they returned to the Shinra Mansion."

"Isn't that where you said Sephiroth was created?" Billy's eyes sharpened on the man with the unusual appearance. "Were you one of those Shinra scientists or something."

"No." Vincent's voice was flat as he turned away. "Our worlds are very different, Billy. Leave it at that."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

It meant that he was done talking, Leon thought ruefully. After seeing him break the lock on that drawer with no more than a tug, he could see why the other man was hesitant to answer any questions. There was a good chance that he wasn't what they would consider 'human', and Billy definitely wouldn't react well to something like _that._

"Well, we've got other things to worry about right now," he announced briskly. He pulled the Blacktail out of its holster and headed for the door at the back of the room. "Come on. Let's this over with, so we can all go home and have a beer."

Billy shot him a knowing look but let it go. "Yeah, I'd kill for a frosty one right about now," he said as he followed.

"I have the feeling you're going to get plenty of chances," Leon responded wryly. "Let's make it a beer for every five we kill, just so that we survive the alcohol poisoning."

"Thanks a lot, Leon," Rebecca muttered as she took her place. "You know how cranky Billy gets when he's hung over."

"I'm a Marine," Billy snapped. "I don't get 'cranky'."

She and Leon shared a meaningful before they both burst out laughing. Billy scowled as they laughed at his expense, but his eyes shone with humor. Vincent concluded that the mood swings he'd seen the other man exhibit were normal, and that he was well aware of them. Obviously, whatever he had gone through had left its mark on him.

It was the same with Cloud, he thought with a sigh. Cloud had spent two years fighting a deep depression because of all he had gone through to defeat Sephiroth. He had eventually shed his guilt over Aeris Gainsborough's death, but he would never forget all that had been lost to Sephiroth's madness. He would never again be the same cocky young mercenary that Tifa so often described, but he had survived with his sanity intact, and had moved on with his life. It was a testament to the strength of the man Hojo had once called a failed experiment.

I miss them, Vincent thought suddenly, bleakly. He'd been telling himself that he had to move on with his life, that he needed to forget them, but he knew that he never would. Unless a miracle occurred, he was going to spend the remainder of his unnaturally long life grieving, and he had long since stopped believing in miracles.

It was with a heavy heart that he drew the Cerberus and followed his newfound comrades into the unknown.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, who are the property of Capcom and Square-Enix, respectively.

Synopsis: If you've played Dirge Of Cerberus, and you got the secret ending, you'll have an idea of what I'm planning. If not, you'll figure it out soon enough.

Author's Note: So, what do you think? Beta'd by the always wonderful Littlehouseinthewoods.

* * *

Chapter Three

Yuffie held the searchlight out before her, its beam swinging wildly as she searched for Vincent. The shadows almost seemed to absorb the light as she moved through them, and she couldn't suppress a shudder. Yeah, maybe she should have listened to Vincent, she told herself uneasily, but she couldn't let him put himself in harm's way just to protect _her._ He had told her to stay put, but she'd never been one to take orders. He knew her well enough to _that._ They were a team, dammitt! Vincent just spent so much time alone that he had trouble remembering that.

No more, she told herself firmly. Once they were done with this, she was going to make sure he spent all of his time with _her._ Eventually, he'd forget that he'd ever loved that stupid scientist who had gotten him killed. He'd have all the fun he could handle, and then some, and he'd realize just how much he had to live for. He would stop sneaking off to see Lucrecia at all hours, and he would finally be healed.

A faint blue light began to glow, pulsing through the shadows that surrounded her, claiming her attention. Yuffie's eyes widened dramatically as she began to back away, memories of Nero The Shade's abyss flashing through her mind. "Vincent?" she cried into the darkness. "What's going on? Where are you?!"

It couldn't be same, she tried to reassure herself. Vincent had defeated Nero The Shade five weeks ago, and Hojo had used Weiss to kill the Tsviet super-soldier. Whatever this blue-tinged darkness was, it _couldn't _be the same void that had nearly claimed her life.

Yuffie heard the desperation lacing her thoughts and winced. What if Nero had somehow survived his fusion with Weiss? Vincent had been able to survive the abyss before, but only because he harbored Chaos inside of him. Without the entity, he might not be so lucky. She was suddenly terrified that Vincent might die in that big black void she didn't dare enter.

She continued to backpedal, struggling to open the PHS in the dark. She scowled at her own stupidity even as she trained the searchlight on the phone. She finally got the number right and brought it up to her ear, muttering impatiently as it rang. "Come on, Cloud. Pick up!"

The ringing was cut off abruptly. _"What's wrong?"_ Cloud asked without preamble.

"Vincent's gone into the abyss alone!" she cried, taking another step back as the unnatural blackness crept towards her. "He doesn't have Chaos anymore, Cloud. He won't survive in there."

_"What abyss?"_ Cloud asked sharply.

"The one that Tsviet weirdo was able to open before," she snapped with annoyance. "Ask Reeve about it if you really want to know, but get your butt down here before Vincent gets himself killed!"

_"We're coming,"_ came the immediate response. He paused, his voice an inarticulate murmur, before continuing, _"Reeve says to stay out of the void. We'll find a way in once we join you."_

Yuffie eyed the shadows warily, even though they seemed to have stopped moving. "But what about Vincent?" she asked. "I can't just leave him there, Cloud!"

_"And Reeve says that you'll die if you follow him in. Yuffie, wait for us, okay? We'll find a way to save Vincent together."_

"Fine," she said quickly. "Just hurry, Cloud."

_"We'll be right there."_

The line went dead and she put the phone away, her dark eyes straining as she searched the inky blackness. "Damn it, Vincent Valentine! Don't you die in there! Do you hear me?"

Only silence greeted her words, not even the wind that had been circulating through the cavern sounded, and a band tightened around her chest. "This isn't fair!" she yelled, tears welling in her eyes. "You can't do this, whoever you are! You'd better not hurt Vincent, or I'll kill you myself!"

A deep, mocking laugh reached her ears, and she shivered in response. The voice was deep, much like Vincent's, but it was different too. It held a cruelty she'd never heard from the former Turk, not even when he had transformed into Chaos. The voice was evil, pure and simple, and she was terrified for him.

"Vincent," she called out, walking towards the void that she knew would ultimately kill her, "stay strong. I'll find you, I promise."

She approached the edge of the void, hesitating, as she drew a deep breath. She reached out with one trembling hand and forced herself to step forward. She drew up short, frowning with confusion, as her hand met an invisible barrier. She followed the barrier to the right, then to the left, cursing as she realized that nearly the whole cave had been sealed.

"Vincent!" She banged on the unseen obstruction, first with her fists, then with her weapon. To her chagrin, nothing she did weakened it. The barrier held, with Vincent Valentine trapped within that blue-black nothingness. "Come on, Vince! Answer me! Tell me you're still alive in there!"

The silence was deafening, and she closed her eyes as her tears began to spill over. "Please?" she begged in a small voice.

That mad laugh rang through the cavern once again, and a surge of anger swept through her. She wasn't going to give up, she thought with renewed determination. She would find a way to rescue Vincent, and then she'd beat the hell out of whoever was stupid enough to have gone after him!

She wiped her eyes and took a step back, studying the void before her, hoping to find a weakness. She moved the light over it slowly, realizing that it hadn't been her imagination. The light hadn't been penetrating the shadows because the wall had blocked it. The abyss had probably been there the whole time, hidden by the abnormal darkness Sephiroth had left behind three years before.

"And you walked right into it, didn't you, Vince?" Yuffie said into the quiet, talking more to comfort herself than out of any real hope that he would answer her. "Or did you know that something was waiting for you in there? Is that why you told me to stay behind? Please, tell me you didn't do something stupid, like try to sacrifice yourself to save me?"

"Yuffie!"

She whirled around, relief making her head spin, as their friends came running towards her. "He's in here," she said, hitting the invisible wall with her weapon. "He's trapped in there, and I can't get to him!"

Cloud Strife only nodded, his spiky blond hair swaying slightly with the motion, as he felt himself pulled towards the abyss. "We'll find a way inside, Yuffie."

Reeve approached her, his aquiline features pinched with concern. "You tried to go in, didn't you?" he asked with reproach. "I thought I told you to stay away from the abyss."

Yuffie snorted, hiding a very real fear. "Like that would be enough to stop me."

"Gawd, but you're stubborn, girl." Cid Highwind studied her closely as he pulled a lit cigarette from between his lips, noting the telltale signs of tears. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she answered shortly, turning back towards the abyss. "It's Vincent I'm worried about."

"We are all worried about Vincent," Nanaki, once known as Red XIII, said with a swish of his tail.

Barret Wallace approached, his right arm already transformed into his favorite gun, the Missing Score. "Vincent's a tough one," he said, his deep brown eyes following Cloud as he approached the darkness. "He'll keep himself alive long enough for us to get to 'im."

"That's right." Tifa Lockheart smiled reassuringly as she came to stand beside her. "Vincent is strong, Yuffie. He'll be fine. I'm sure of it."

"I hope you're right, Tifa." Yuffie watched Cloud as he reached out with one gloved hand and touched the barrier. To her astonishment, his hand passed easily through the invisible barrier. "How the hell did you do that? _I_ couldn't get inside!"

Cloud only shrugged his black-clad shoulders, his mako-blue eyes locked on the unusual darkness. He tuned the others out, training all of his senses on the abyss he had so casually breached. He could _feel_ Vincent there, alive and well but scared, beyond the barrier. He could also sense another, a being so powerful that his entire being trembled in response to it. It wasn't Sephiroth, as he had feared, but he felt the pull as he had all those years ago. Whatever it was that held Vincent captive, the Jenova cells inside of him were responding to it.

Which was probably why he'd been able to create a fissure in the void in the first place, he thought with a silent sigh. He didn't understand just why that was, but he had his suspicions. If he was right, Vincent had a lot of explaining to do. If he was wrong. . .

Gawd, but he hoped he was wrong! Cloud thought as he withdrew his hand. He took a step back, reaching behind him and drawing a sword from one of the many sheaths strapped to his back. "I'll go in first," he announced, slanting an unreadable glance over his shoulder. "Wait five minutes, then follow."

"Cloud. . ." Tifa set a hand on his arm, her dark eyes searching his. "What is it, Cloud? What do you sense?"

Cloud only shook his head, his near-perfect features softening, as he covered her hand with his. "I'm not sure, Tifa, which is why I want you to wait."

She gazed at her husband with a concern she wasn't able to hide. "You'll be careful, won't you?"

He merely nodded, his brilliant blue eyes locking on hers, and released her. She stepped back silently, and he turned away, back towards the abyss that held their friend captive. He gripped the Buster Sword more firmly and stepped forward, doing his best to ignore the call for Reunion. He wasn't just another Sephiroth clone, and it wasn't his former commander who awaited him. He could fight the compulsion to rejoin Jenova--he could even resist it--but he couldn't pretend it didn't exist.

Unlike someone else he knew. Cloud pushed a surge of anger away and forced himself to step closer to the void. He didn't know if his suspicions were correct, and the anger would only distract him. He would deal with it later, once the immediate threat was gone. For now, finding Vincent was his first priority.

Yuffie watched as Cloud steeped into the abyss and yelled, "Vincent!"

"Hang on, Vince!" Cid hollered encouragingly, hoping he could hear them. "We're comin'!"

"Yo, we'll kill that bitch for ya!" Barret yelled confidently.

Cloud ignored his friends as he entered the darkness. The first thing he felt was pain, though it was not his own. Agonized screams reached his ears, accompanied by an eerie multitude of whispering voices. It was like the Lifestream he had once lost himself in, only this time, he was in control of himself. There was no fracture in his sense of self, no weakness to be exploited. He had come to terms with himself and his origins. He only wished Vincent had had the courage to do the same.

The abyss swirled menacingly around him, teasing him with glimpses of those he sought. He could almost make out the dramatic red flare of Vincent's cloak, and then it was gone, lost in the darkness that taunted him. A faint ribbon of light, a gleam of silver, caught his eye, and then vanished. He shivered as an image of the One-Winged Angel filled his mind. He quickly banished it, knowing that it merely the nature of the abyss to toy with the psyches of those who were unfortunate enough to enter it.

The shadows seemed to part before him, revealing two separate figures, one sporting a deep red cloak. He rushed towards them, frowning faintly as he watched Vincent run in the opposite direction. Vincent was shooting at the other, who used that shimmering night-black wing to shield himself. Then, Vincent stopped suddenly. He holstered his gun and walked towards his opponent, his expression one of resignation, and Cloud cursed soundly. He was trying to protect them by sacrificing himself!

He opened his mouth to call out when the darkness began to gather once more. "Vincent!" he screamed as they disappeared from sight. "Damn you!"

His blue eyes narrowed with renewed determination as he brought the Buster Sword up before him and strode forward. He gasped suddenly as an unseen force lifted him off of his feet and hurled him backwards. He landed hard, the sword flying out of his hands, on the other side of the abyss. His friends rushed towards him, crouching beside him with concerned expressions, and he quickly altered his expression. He didn't want them to know just how unsettled he was by the power he'd just felt--both inside and out.

Damn you, Vincent! he thought with a combination of sympathy and rage. Why didn't come to me with this years ago? He brushed off the hands of his friends and stood, glancing around until he located his sword. He ignored their questions as he strode to it, picking it up and shoving it into its sheath. He wasn't sure what to say to them, or even if he should say anything. Although he was certain his suspicions were correct, he had no proof, only a gut instinct that was screaming at him in warning.

"What happened?" Yuffie watched with disbelief as Cloud completely ignored them, his only concern seemingly for his lost weapon. "Cloud, where's Vincent?"

Cloud stiffened, then turned to face her. "He's still in there," he answered flatly. "I couldn't get to him."

"What? You mean, you just left him alone in there?!" she asked, outraged.

He saw fear in the depths of her dark eyes and sighed heavily. "I never even got close to him, Yuffie. The abyss kept us separated."

"Just tell me that he's okay." Yuffie marched up to their official leader, her gamine features set in stern lines. "Tell me that he's not lying in there, dying, or being tortured by memories of Lucrecia. Tell me that much, at least."

Cloud looked away from the accusation in her eyes. "I can't," he said at length, hoping she couldn't read the lie in his expression. "I'm not even sure it was him that I saw, and not just an illusion created by the void."

She shook her head angrily and turned away, fighting tears as she approached the shadows. "I want him back, Cloud."

"I know," he said quietly. "I'll find another way, Yuffie. I promise you."

"Like what?" she snapped, taking refuge in anger. "Are you going to use some of your precious materia to dispel this stupid barrier, then? Or would that be too dangerous to risk attempting?"

"Yuffie!" Reeve frowned severely at the young ninja. "Attacking Cloud solves nothing. This isn't his fault. He risked his life to enter the void and search for Vincent."

Yuffie cringed as guilt filled her. "I'm sorry," she wailed. "I'm just worried about Vincent. He's not as strong as you are, Cloud."

"He's strong enough," Nanaki said simply.

Tifa turned to her husband with a solemn expression. "Why do you think you were able to enter the abyss, when none of us could?"

Cloud's tawny head shot up, those brilliant blue eyes narrowing on hers. "I thought I told you to wait five minutes."

"We waited ten," Barret informed him, lifting his square chin in defiance. "That's all you get, Spiky. We give you anymore, you get yourself into trouble, so ten's the limit."

He gazed at the bronzed-skin man with exasperation. He truly hated that nickname! "I don't know why I was the only one who could breach the barrier," he said with a shrug. "Maybe, it's because I'm not entirely human. I'm not sure."

Tifa tilted her head to one side, crossing her arms over her considerable chest, as she smiled sweetly at the man she'd loved nearly all of her life. "You're human enough for me, Cloud."

Cloud smiled faintly, even as he felt a blush creeping into his cheeks. "You're biased," he pointed out with a small laugh.

"Very much so," she admitted freely. She approached him and brushed her lips over his cheek. "Now, what's the plan?"

He ducked his head, blushing even harder, and she echoed his laugh. He grasped one deceptively delicate hand in his own, the laughter dying as he thought of all he hadn't learned this day. He brushed his leather-bound thumb over the ring on her left hand, drawing courage from the love it symbolized. He didn't want to tell the others what he suspected, simply because--if he was right--Vincent had gone to great lengths to hide it from them, and he would feel betrayed if it was revealed.

He looked up to find Cid watching him, a wise gleam in his faded blue eyes. "Are you gonna be all right, kid?"

Cloud nodded once, wondering just how much Cid had put together on his own. "It's not Sephiroth," he said quietly. "Whoever--or whatever--has Vincent trapped in there, isn't not _him."_

"Good," Cid said simply. "That's one less thing we have to worry about, then."

Cloud drew in a harsh breath. "You knew?" he asked sharply. "How?"

The older man only shrugged as he lit yet another cigarette. "Your dreams were different this time," was all he said in response.

He grunted at that, sure there was more, but unwilling to discuss it further. "Well, for now we need to concentrate on freeing Vincent."

Reeve stroked his goatee, his urbane features taking on a pensive cast. "If it's not Sephiroth--or Jenova--creating this void, then I think it's safe to assume that Weiss is responsible. If that's the case, then we are worrying needlessly. Vincent is more than capable of defeating Weiss, again."

"But what about _this?"_ Yuffie rapped on the unseen barrier with the back of one slim hand. "Weiss couldn't create the abyss, Reeve. Only Nero could do that."

The former Shinra executive merely shrugged. "Perhaps, Nero survived the confrontation between Chaos and Omega. He and Weiss shared the same body, after all."

"I don't like this." She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. "Nero was never this powerful before. Vincent beat him easily. Weiss, too. It was only Omega that he had problems with."

Her ebony eyes widened at the thought. "You don't think--"

"No, I don't," he cut in firmly. "Omega was destroyed in the course of their battle, Yuffie. Chaos as well. Had either risen, we would have seen some sign of it."

"This is bullshit." Barret had approached the wall and was glaring at it, his deep brown eyes narrowed with anger. "We all saw the wing. We know what it means. If it's not Sephiroth, then who the hell does it belong to?"

"How the hell should we know?" Cid exclaimed irritably. "The kid here will figure it out. He always does."

Cloud only sighed at the older man's endorsement. He might be their leader, but he didn't have all of the answers. The call for Reunion still filled his senses, his body responding to the subliminal pull on a cellular level, yet Sephiroth was gone. He knew that whatever remained of Jenova itself was probably here, in the Northern Cave, hidden by the inky blackness they couldn't penetrate, but it shouldn't be this strong. All of the other remnants old enough to respond to the call for Reunion were dead, killed in battle with either he or Sephiroth, and Jenova couldn't have its Reunion unless it had enough remnants to complete its physical form. He was the only one left, and he couldn't be controlled by the call.

He thought of his suspicions and winced inwardly. There _might _be one more, one who was older and more powerful than he was, but that was pure speculation. And even if he was right about this, Vincent was obviously strong enough to resist the call, so it had to be something else. He just didn't know what.

Back to square one, Cloud told himself sternly. All of the Sephiroth clones, himself included, had been blond and blue-eyed. The resemblance between himself and the One-Winged Angel was undeniable. The genetics shared by all of the remnants had been manifested in their physical features. Vincent Valentine shared none of the physical traits typical to their kind. Which meant that he couldn't possibly share the mometic legacy. Unless. . .

"What about Genesis?" he said abruptly, pinning Reeve beneath his luminous gaze. "Is it possible that he is here, now, in this place?"

Reeve frowned at his words. "We have no proof that 'G' even exists, Cloud."

"I read the reports Vincent collected in Deep Ground's H.Q., Reeve. Genesis was created right alongside Sephiroth." Cloud crossed his arms over his chest, one hand coming up to stroke the lion's head on his left shoulder in a habitual gesture. "I know that Genesis disappeared with no explanation. No trace of it was ever found. What if it was like me, a failed experiment that was simply forgotten?"

The other man was shaking his dark head, and Cloud explained, "I can feel the pull, Reeve. The call for Reunion is strong, but it is _different_ somehow. What if, Genesis isn't trying to trigger the Reunion? What if it's simply a side-effect of what he _is?"_

"You mean, because he's a part of Jenova?" Tifa nodded slowly, her burnished brown hair sliding over hers shoulders. "Okay, let's say you're right, and this Genesis is causing this. Why wasn't he there three years ago, or even last year with Kadaj, when the Reunion was set in motion? Barret, what do you think?"

Barret snorted. "Maybe it was trapped somewhere and couldn't join," he said with a shrug. "Who knows? I leave the deep thinking to you guys for a freakin' reason."

"Trapped," Cloud murmured, his gaze going to the abyss that, by all rights, should have consumed them all. It hadn't, taking only Vincent, and rejecting _him_. Why, unless _Vincent_ was the one it had wanted all along. "Damn it!"

"What?" Yuffie demanded, her slender body fairly vibrating as she focused her attention completely on him. "What aren't you telling us, Cloud?"

He merely shook his tawny head as he reached into his supply pack. No more messing around, he thought, no more theorizing. They were going to get Vincent out of there, and there were going to do it _now._ He withdrew a shiny sphere, which glowed with intense green light. He held it out before him and approached the abyss, wondering if this would work. Could the being on the other side truly be _that_ powerful?

"Get back," he ordered, lifting the materia up high as he prepared to use it. "I'll try to dispel the barrier. If this doesn't work, we'll figure something else out. Just stay behind me, in case there's a backlash."

"Cloud. . ."

He glanced at the woman he had so recently married and managed a reassuring smile. "It'll be all right, Tifa. You'll see."

She gazed at him for a long moment, her expression eloquent, before withdrawing. He felt a presence at his back and smiled to himself. She hadn't gone far, but she'd done as he'd asked, so he really couldn't say much. She would never leave him alone if she thought there was danger, and he while he worried for her safety, he would always be grateful that she cared for him so deeply.

"Here goes nothing," he murmured, then said the words that would release the mako-generated magic into the world.

The bright green glow leapt from the sphere, shooting straight up, before flowing down to swirl around him as the materia answered his summons. He directed it towards the barrier, urging it to dissipate the unseen obstruction, using only his will. The light shot towards the invisible wall, spreading out along its length, flaring brightly as the spell culminated.

Then it was gone, the light disappearing as though it had never been. Cloud tucked the materia away and cast a quick glance over his shoulder. "Yuffie, why don't you--"

She took off at a run, not even allowing him to finish his sentence. She cried Vincent's name and ran straight into the barrier. She bounced off it and landed hard on her bottom, her expression showing surprise. "It didn't work!" she exclaimed, rubbing her bottom as she rose to her feet. "Why didn't it work, Cloud?"

"I don't know." Cloud uttered a frustrated sound at the failure. While he wasn't a master magic user, he knew what he was doing. This _should _have worked. "I'll go back in," he said at last. "I'll search until I find Vincent, and I'll figure out how to bring him out."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Cid asked doubtfully.

Cloud looked at him with surprise. "I'd have thought that you, of all people, would want Vincent back."

"I do, kid." Faded blue eyes moved to the darkness beyond. "I just don't want to lose you both. That's all."

He smiled crookedly at that. "Thanks, but I don't see any other way, Cid. Whatever—whoever--is doing this, they were powerful enough to put me on my ass. I don't think we should leave Vincent alone with it."

The older man nodded his graying head. "Be careful, then."

"I will." Cloud drew a deep breath and stepped towards the void once again. A deep, mournful sound filled the cavern, followed the rush of wind, and he realized that the void was dissipating on its own. "It's dispersing!" he shouted, drawing his sword and rushing forward. "Everyone in, now!"

He spied the two figures standing before some kind of portal. He frowned, only dimly registering the sound of Barret's weapon as it was fired. The man he believed to be Genesis had his back to him, so he couldn't see his face, but the wing that sprung from his left shoulder spoke volumes. Not Sephiroth, but the other, as he had suspected. He took no comfort from the knowledge. He would have rather been wrong about this.

The creature beside Vincent retreated behind that cursed wing, but not before those bullets found their mark. Cloud smiled coldly as he ran towards them, determined to kill this new threat, when Vincent did something totally unexpected. He lunged towards the winged man, lifted him off his feet, and _threw_ him into the rift.

"Yes!" Cloud muttered, his smile widening as the portal being to contort. The scene behind it changed, but he paid it no mind as he hurried towards his friend. Vincent was obviously all right, which was all that really mattered. Everything else would work itself out, in time.

Then Vincent himself rose into the air, lifted by an unseen force, as his body shot into the portal. "No!" Cloud whispered hoarsely.

"_Vincent!" _

Yuffie was screaming Vincent's name like mad as she sped past him in an attempt to follow. Cloud grabbed her at the last minute, pulling her back, away from the fissure. She fought him, yelling obscenities, even as the portal faded to black before them. She continued to fight him, her ebony eyes locked on wall which replaced the rift.

"Yuffie, stop!" he panted, winded by the struggle. "It's too late. He's gone."

"No!" She slumped back against him, her expression one of stunned disbelief as she stared at the wall where the portal had been only moments before. She jerked away from him, disturbingly silent, and he let her go. She looked completely devastated as she began to pound uselessly on the cavern wall, and he flinched in response to her pain. She'd had a crush on Vincent from the first moment she'd seen him in the basement of the Shinra Mansion, and her feelings hadn't changed in the three years since.

She laid her forehead on the cold stone wall and began to cry, her shoulders shaking with the force of her grief. He took an uncertain step towards her, halting as he felt a hand on his arm. He looked down to see Tifa gazing up at him with sorrow-filled brown eyes. "I'll take care of it," she murmured, squeezing his arm once before releasing him.

He watched as she approached the younger woman and put an arm around her shoulders. Yuffie responded by turning into her and sobbing harder. Guilt flowed through him as he looked away. "I should have been able to save him," he murmured to himself.

"There wasn't anything you could do, kid." Cid set a hand on his shoulder briefly. "Don't go beatin' yourself up over what you can't change."

"Cid's right, Cloud," Reeve said firmly. "Concentrate on finding a way to reopen that portal."

"Shit," Barret grumbled, laying a hand on his weapon as he changed it back to its original state. "This sucks. How the hell are we supposed to do that, when we don't know how it was opened in the first place?"

Cloud shook his flaxen head silently, unable to answer. He didn't know how Genesis had opened the portal. If it was magic, it was a type of materia unknown to them. If it was an inborn ability that Genesis possessed, then it stood to reason that he was the only one who could open it, and he was on the other side, beyond their reach.

He studied the place where it had been, doing his best to ignore Yuffie's grief. "Why did he let me into the void?" he asked, thinking aloud as he strove to understand. "Why could Vincent and I enter, but none of you?"

Reeve shrugged. "If that monster _is_ Genesis, then he carries Jenova cells within him, Cloud. It would have been difficult for him to control you."

"Sephiroth could," Cloud reminded him in a flat tone.

Cid made a rude sound at that. "Only until you hit the Lifestream, and you've been in there at least once since then, remember?"

"Maybe." Cloud sighed heavily. "Still, the call was strong, Cid. Had Sephiroth been that strong, I never would have been able to resist him. If Genesis had actually been trying to trigger a Reunion, I might have--"

"We would have stopped you," Barret said with uncharacteristic solemnity, then ruined the moment by adding, "You're not as badass as you think you are, Spiky."

He smiled faintly at that. "Thanks, Barret," he said his driest voice.

The big man nodded, the braids at the back of his neck swinging with the motion. "Don't mention it, Cloud."

"That still doesn't explain how Vincent got in," Nanaki pointed out, a frown distorting his feline features. "He's not a remnant, and he's not Chaos' host any longer, so how did he enter the barrier in the first place?"

Cloud hesitated, unsure if voicing his suspicions was a wise thing to do. But he hated lying to his friends, and it wouldn't matter to them anyway. If Lucrecia had used Jenova cells during her struggle to save Vincent's life, it wasn't his fault. No, the only one who would be angry was _him,_ but only because Vincent had hidden the knowledge for the last three years. To his mind, it didn't make the other man less human. If anything, it gave him an insight into Vincent and his unusual abilities--as well as his own.

"Because it was hidden." Yuffie was wiping her face on the soft cloth of one gauntlet, her forbidding expression daring anyone to mention her tears, and he closed his mouth. He would only mention it if it became necessary. Until then, he'd let his friends sort it out for themselves. Vincent deserved that much consideration, at least.

"Vincent sensed something in the shadows. I did, too," she continued, her normally musical voice hoarse. "It felt wrong to both of us. He didn't know what it was, but he made me promise not to follow him. Said if there was trouble, to get you guys before I tried to rescue him. He knew that something was here, Cloud. He just didn't know what."

"Genesis set this up, then." Tifa looked to her husband, her expression one of anger. "He left that wing behind on purpose, Cloud. He _wanted_ us to find it, and to track him here."

"But why?" Barret asked with confusion. "Why did this dude want Vincent, but not Cloud?"

"What does that matter?" Cid asked impatiently, placing an unlit cigarette between his lips. "He wanted Vince and he got him. Now, we gotta figure out how to get him back."

Cloud's luminous gaze sharpened on the older man, and he was suddenly sure that Cid knew more than he was saying. Cid met his gaze squarely, his faded blue eyes glinting in warning, and Cloud that knew he was right. Vincent had probably confided in Cid, who would never betray a trust, not even to save his life.

Fine, he thought with a touch irritation. Cid could keep Vincent's secrets, provided that they didn't endanger the rest of the party. If that changed, he'd find a way to force the other man to talk. Until then, he was going to open that damned portal, one way or another.

"I can send out the call for Reunion," he said abruptly as he turned away. "While I'm not nearly as strong as Sephiroth, I still carry a part of Jenova within me, and I'm the only one left. If I concentrate hard enough, maybe I can draw this Genesis to _me,_ and he'll open the portal _for_ us."

"That's a dangerous thing to attempt," Reeve told him, his disapproval obvious.

"Yeah," Cloud said with a shrug, "but it just might work. If we can't make him return Vincent to us, then we'll go to him, and rescue Vincent on our own."

"What if we can't come back?" Cid asked in an atypically somber tone.

"We'll worry about that if--or when--it happens," he said simply.

"Right." Tifa nodded emphatically as she pulled her sparring gloves on. "Vincent's safety is our only concern."

"You're damned right it is!" Yuffie declared, clapping her hands together enthusiastically. "Let's get Vincent back!"

Barret snorted loudly. "You're all crazy fucks, you know that?"

"Hey!" she protested loudly. "We are not crazy!"

"Sure we are, girl." Cid lit the cigarette, the flare from his lighter giving his weathered features an ominous cast. "At least some of us can admit it."

Reeve through back his head and laughed, his deep voice booming through the cavern. Tifa joined him, the lighter sound tinkling pleasantly. Cloud only smiled slowly, his bright blue eyes taking a gleam, and Barret found himself laughing with them. This was more like the man he had met three years ago, the mercenary who had feared nothing, a man whose only pleasure in life had been earning gil through battle. As much as Cloud had annoyed him back then, it was good to see this side of him again. They didn't see it nearly enough anymore.

He returned the smile, touching his arm to trigger the Missing Score. "Alright," he said with mock reluctance, "let's get this over with. I want to get back to Marlene some time in _this_ lifetime."

Cloud only nodded, his bristly golden hair swaying, as he turned back towards the blank wall. The smile died as slowly as it had formed, gone as he closed his eyes and tried to summon Genesis with nothing more than the strength of his will. He had no idea if this would work, but it was better than standing around, watching Yuffie cry as though her heart was breaking. Anything was better than _that._

He concentrated hard, sending out a subliminal message that only those infused with Jenova cells could hear. He could feel the call pulsing through him as his own cells attempted to respond. The sensation was far from pleasant, and he had to push his distaste aside. If Vincent _was_ tied to either he or Genesis, he would feel the pull, and know what it was they were attempting. The question was whether or not Genesis would, as well.

Then, he felt it. That odd awakening deep inside of him, in a place that he couldn't begin to describe. He could _feel_ the other stir, could sense the interest that his wordless message had piqued. He couldn't sense Vincent, but then, he'd never been able to. Vincent had been able to hide that part of himself all too well.

Light began to dance beyond his closed eyelids, followed by several gasps, and he smiled to himself with satisfaction. Genesis might have wanted Vincent, but it was interested in him too. He continued to focus on the call even as he opened his eyes. The portal had indeed reappeared, but it glimmered unstably before them. Genesis' power wasn't at its peak, and they had only a limited time before the portal closed.

He studied the laboratory beyond the rift as best he could as he drew his sword. "Let's go," he ordered, already moving towards the portal.

His friends were surprisingly silent as they moved with him, each awed and more than a little afraid, although they followed him without hesitation. They trusted him, even when he didn't know what he doing. He only hoped he could pull this off, and get them all back to their world safely. He didn't know if he could survive another loss like--

He cut his thoughts off then and there. She was gone, and he couldn't bring her back. He had failed her, and she had forgiven him. He wouldn't fail anyone else.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, who are the property of Capcom and Square-Enix, respectively.

Synopsis: If you've played Dirge Of Cerberus, and you got the secret ending, you'll have an idea of what I'm planning. If not, you'll figure it out soon enough.

Author's Note: Cloud and Co. make their way into our world, while Leon, Billy, and Rebecca come fact-to-face with Chaos. Beta'd by Littlehouseinthewoods (as always). Enjoy:)

* * *

Chapter Four

Cloud stepped through the portal first, his mako-bright gaze sweeping the room. Genesis didn't appear to be present, but he had to be somewhere nearby. Without him, this wouldn't have been possible. His eyes narrowed on the large creatures floating in liquid-filled tanks, each more bizarre than the last, but Genesis was nowhere in sight. Cloud continued to send out the call, frustration filling him as he realized that, although the other had opened the portal, he hadn't come to fight them.

He could feel the portal as it became unstable, then simply winked out of existence. Genesis had trapped them here, in a world unknown to them, and he had a sinking feeling that this is what the creature had intended all along. Genesis had wanted Vincent, but he wanted them, as well. Now, Cloud just had to figure out why.

"Cloud. . ." Tifa's voice trailed off as she instinctively shifted closer to him.

"I know," Cloud said quietly.

The laboratory was huge, dominated by the large capsules holding monsters he had only seen in his dreams. It reminded him of the Shinra Mansion, and the monsters he had seen in the beakers there. He hadn't realized then that he had once been one of them, but he was all too aware of it now.

He moved further into the room, pausing before a desk that had papers scattered across its surface. He picked one up, frowning as he scanned the page. There was a small picture of a creature very similar to the ones in the beakers, designated MA-121 Hunters. He had no idea what that meant, but it didn't matter. They weren't going to linger here any longer than they had to. They were here for Vincent Valentine. Period. Anything else was irrelevant.

Yuffie watched, bored out of her mind, as Cloud continued to read the papers on the desk. She sighed to herself and wandered towards one of the tanks. She stopped a few feet away from it, not wanting to get too close, but needing something to take her mind off of Vincent's disappearance. The monster inside looked like it was either dead or asleep, but she wasn't taking any chances. From the looks of those claws on its hands, it could deal out some major damage, and there had to be at least twenty of the damned things in here. If they got loose--

"Wait a minute," she muttered, stepping forward for a closer look. "Did that thing just _move?"_

Reeve frowned darkly. "Don't be ridiculous, Yuffie. It's obviously incapacitated."

"Well, yeah, but--" She gasped as a pair of reptilian eyes suddenly opened. "Oh Gawd, it's awake, Reeve!"

She backed away from the tank, swallowing hard as the creature began to throw itself against the thick glass of the beaker. "Cloud!"

Cloud dropped the papers and rushed towards her, placing his body protectively before hers. "There's a door on the far side of the room," he said as calmly as he could. "Head for it--quickly," he added, thinking of what he had just read about this monster.

"Think again, kid." Cid appeared at his side, his Trident held at the ready. "You're not in this alone."

He made a frustrated sound. "These things are dangerous, Cid."

Barret took up a position on his right, his own gun trained on the tank, as the glass began to crack. "Yeah, well so are we."

Cloud sighed and gave up, lifting his sword up before him. "Tifa, you, Nanaki, and Yuffie get Reeve out of here. We'll follow as soon as we can."

"But Cloud--"

He cut her off. "Reeve doesn't have a weapon. He'll need you three to protect him. Now, go!"

He glanced over his shoulder just long enough to watch them leave the room, then turned back to the beaker. Clear blue liquid was dribbling down the front of the tank, the flow increasing with each blow that was struck. He thought of all he had just learned about these monsters and took several steps back. Cid and Barret followed, keeping pace with him, as the glass finally gave way.

The Hunter jumped to the ground in an agile movement, its reptilian eyes focusing on them with predatory intent. It made an odd sound in the back of its throat, the noise a cross between a purr and a rattle, and leapt for them. Barret began to fire, the sub-machine gun attached to his arm discharging in three-round bursts. The creature was thrown to the ground, only to spring up almost immediately. The rattle grew louder as it began to stalk them, ignoring the bullets that shook its entire body. Brackish blood began to ooze from the wounds, running down its heavily muscled torso in thick rivulets.

"Shit!" Barret cursed soundly as he backed away. "This thing's tough!"

Cid snorted in disgust and lunged forward, sinking his spear into the Hunter's chest. He pulled it out with a disgusting sound, but not before the monster dropped to the ground. "Tough, my grizzled old ass!"

"Cid!" Cloud yelled in warning. "Watch out!"

In a motion almost too fast for the eyes to see, the Hunter was on its feet and in the air. It leapt at Cid, taking the older man to ground. Cid held the Trident across his chest, desperately trying to get his legs up under the beast. It raised one clawed hand, its intent clear, when a hail of gunfire cut into it. The retort of another weapon sounded, the noise echoing loudly through the room, accompanying the Missing Score in a deadly symphony.

The Hunter gave a loud, high-pitched squeal as it began to shake and shudder. Cid pushed it off him as quickly as he could, jumping to his feet and pinning it to the floor with the spear. "Gawd dammitt!" he yelled angrily as the monster finally stopped moving. "What the fuck was that?!"

"'That' was a Hunter."

Cloud turned to find an astonishingly beautiful woman standing just inside the room, a smoking handgun in one delicate hand. A red dress decorated with gold butterflies hugged her slender, full-breasted figure before flaring out around her shapely legs. Her sapphire blue eyes moved over them with obvious interest, her full lips curving into a charming smile, as she took a step towards them.

"My, my," she murmured seductively, "what do we have here?"

Barret lifted arm, his intent clear, as his eyes narrowed with distrust. "Who the hell are you?"

"The bitch in the red dress?" The woman laughed at the obviously private joke and sauntered closer, the aforementioned dress parting to reveal the length of one shapely leg. A black holster was strapped to her thigh, a stark contrast to her creamy skin. "My name is Ada Wong," she answered in a smoky voice. "And you are?"

"Barret Wallace."

One ebony brow shot up at the hostility the large man didn't even attempt to hide. She glanced at the older man, who was glaring at the downed Hunter as he jerked his spear free. "You're lucky I came along when I did," she told him arrogantly. "A few more seconds, and it would have decapitated you."

"I believe it," Cid muttered angrily. "I should probably thank you for helpin' me out."

"Probably." Ada looked at the young blond man in the odd black clothing, running her eyes down the length of his lightly muscled body. "Nice," she commented, half to herself. "From your clothes, I'd have to guess you're not from around here. Are you lost?"

Cloud shot her a dark look as he slowly lowered his sword. "We're looking for someone," he said shortly. "A friend of ours is lost here, and we need to find him. Have you seen a man in a red cape?"

"Mmmm, I can't say that I have." Ada tilted her dark head to one side consideringly. His eyes were the same odd, too-bright shade of blue that G's sometimes took on. Was this the being called Chaos that G spoke of with such reverence? "Does this friend of yours have a name?"

"Vincent Valentine." Cloud leveled cold blue eyes on her. "What do you know of him?"

Not Chaos, then. She shrugged and crossed her arms over her considerable chest, the gun in her right hand an odd incongruity in the face of her obvious femininity. "Sorry, but I've never heard of him," she answered honestly. "What's _your_ name, handsome?"

He frowned at the endearment, shooting Barret a dark look as he smothered a laugh. "Cloud Strife," he responded warily.

"Really?" Ada studied the too-pretty young man with a combination of interest and regret. As attractive as this young man was, she _was_ on duty. And then, there was Leon. . .

She sighed wistfully. "Well, Cloud Strife, I'd love to stay and chat, but I really do have to run. Duty calls, and all of that."

"What?" He watched with disbelief as she turned on her heel and strode from the room. "Wait a minute!"

Ada paused, throwing a seductive glance over one bare shoulder. "Sorry, handsome, but I've got some business to take care of. See you around."

Then she was gone, leaving nothing but a husky laugh and the scent of expensive perfume in her wake. Cid shook his head, a reluctant smile shaping his thin lips. "That one's a handful, kid. You'd better stick with Tifa."

Cloud blushed hotly at that. "That's not funny, Cid."

"Sure it is," Barret inserted with a grin. "Although why you get all the action, I'll never know."

"Gawd." He dropped his head into his hand, embarrassed beyond belief. "If either of you tell Tifa about this, I'll kill you myself."

Cid only laughed, while Barret looked alarmed. "Hell, if I tell Tifa about _her_, she'll kill _me_."

"Probably," Cid said much too cheerfully. His smile died as he looked down at the creature that had nearly taken his head off. "We'd better rejoin the others, before any more of these things wake up."

Barret nodded emphatically. "Yeah, I'd feel better if we stuck together, too."

Cloud smiled crookedly at that. Big, bad Barret Wallace, he thought facetiously. Aloud, he only said, "Let's get out of here, then."

He paused as he opened the door, casting a quick glance over his shoulder. He wondered briefly just who Ada Wong was, and what she was doing in a place like _this_. She wasn't dressed like any scientist _he _had ever seen. Actually, she reminded him a little of Scarlet, the Shinra executive he and the others had killed in battle three years ago. She had the same condescending, over-confident air about her. But unlike Scarlet, he had the feeling that this woman was fully capable of taking on anything that happened to come her way.

He stepped through the doorway and found himself in what appeared to be a large waiting room. Tifa and the others were sitting on a fancy wooden bench, while Nanaki was curled up on the floor at their feet. She looked up as he approached, her heart in her eyes, and stood to meet him. She didn't speak as she laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

Cloud wrapped his arms around her, uncaring of the others, as he held her close. "We're all right, Tifa."

"I know," she returned, even as her own arms encircled his waist.

He held her for a few moments longer, grateful for the contact that would have embarrassed him only a year ago. He finally pulled away, his reluctance obvious. He glanced at Reeve, the only one among them who wasn't a fighter, and said, "We need to find you a weapon."

"I agree," the older man said calmly. "I've become quite good with automatic weapons, if that helps."

"It does." Cloud scanned the room, his bright blue eyes narrowing as he spied what looked like a blueprint of the building hanging on the wall. "Barret, grab that map. I have a feeling we're going to need it."

The bronze-skinned man cursed under his breath as he used his artificial hand to break the glass covering the map. He grabbed the thin paper and pulled it carefully out of the frame. "Here you go," he said as he handed it over.

"What've ya got in mind?" Cid asked as he drew closer.

They all crowded around him as he studied the blueprint. "According to this, we're in B4, one of the building's sub-levels. There's an armory here," Cloud stabbed the map with one leather-bound finger, "two floors up. We'll make our way there, get Reeve a weapon, and restock our supplies."

He glanced at Barret, nodding towards him gun-arm. "You're going to need ammunition for that."

"Yeah," the big man said, thinking of the dead Hunter in the other room, "that's a damned good idea, Spiky."

"And then?" Reeve questioned.

"We make our way towards the surface," he answered decisively. "I've yet to meet an executive whose office was this far underground, so I'm sure there are more levels not shown on this map. If Genesis has Vincent, he'll be waiting for us up there. We'll find them, defeat Genesis, and find a way home. How does that sound?"

"Sounds good, kid," Cid said approvingly. "Lead the way."

Tifa nodded her agreement, her dark gaze going to Yuffie. "You might say something to her, Cloud."

"I'll take care of it." He folded the map and tucked it into his supply pack. He approached the young ninja, whose arms were crossed over her chest as she glared at him. "What?" she snapped defensively, and he stifled a sigh.

"I know you're worried about Vincent," he said in a quiet voice. "I'm worried, too. But we'll find him, Yuffie. You know we will."

She only shrugged, her expression mutinous. "He was trying to protect us, Cloud."

"I know he was." Cloud set a hand on her slender shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Nothing's going to happen to him. Vincent knows how to handle himself in dangerous situations. He was a Turk, remember?"

Yuffie snorted as she shrugged off his hand. "Yeah, like that kept him from getting killed before," she muttered under her breath.

He heard her and shook his head quickly. "He wouldn't let himself be blindsided, again," he told her firmly. "Vincent's smarter than that. If you have any faith in him at all, believe _that."_

"I do. It's just that. . ." She looked away, scuffing the toe of her boot on the floor. "I'm afraid for him, Cloud. He really does need us, you know?"

Cloud suppressed a smile at that. Out of all of them, Vincent was the most self-reliant. He came and went as he pleased, and he _never_ asked for help, not even when he truly needed it. "He'll be okay," he told her firmly. "Now, let's get Reeve a gun, and continue on. We'll never find Vincent if we waste our time standing around, whining about him."

She gasped with outrage at the intimation behind his words. "I do not _whine_, you-you pain in the butt!"

This time, he did smile, unable to control it. "That's better, Yuffie. Now, let's go find Vincent."

"Hmph!" She lifted her chin in the air and stomped past him. She halted beside Tifa, her dark eyes flashing. "I don't know how you put up with him."

Tifa only smiled at the man in question. "Cloud has his moments," she said with a wink.

Cloud could only shake his head as he fought hard not to blush. He'd known Tifa for nearly all of his life, yet she still managed to surprise him at times. He glanced at Barret, who crossed his arms over his massive chest as he rolled his eyes, then at the rest of his friends. "Are you all ready?"

Cid nodded once, a lit cigarette dangling from his lips. "Lead the way, kid."

Nanaki rose to his feet, his tail twitching as he said, "We trust you, Cloud."

"Yes, we do," Reeve added simply.

Cloud felt his heart fill with emotion and hastily cleared his throat. "Then, follow me."

As he led to the only other door in the room, he thought of Vincent, and hoped that he really was all right. Keep yourself alive, my friend. We _will_ find you.

* * *

"_Shit!" _

Leon skidded to a stop and dove to one side, taking cover behind a vending machine, as a black shape whizzed past his head. He pressed his back against it and hastily reloaded the Blacktail. He carefully leaned to his right, casting a quick glance around the room. Billy and Rebecca had taken refuge behind a ratty old sofa, timing their shots as they struggled to take down the crows that swarmed in from the broken window opposite of them.

The newest addition to their unit hadn't bothered to take cover. Leon watched with surprise and not a little awe as Vincent Valentine leaped into the air, his deep crimson cloak flaring around him, and began to _dodge_ the agile black birds. He fired almost as quickly as he moved, each shot wringing a squawk from yet another dying animal. Talk about impressive!

Leon gripped his gun tightly and took aim, careful not hit the crows closest to the other man. It was hard, though. Vincent was moving so quickly that it was nearly impossible to keep track him. Yeah, Vincent Valentine was definitely _not_ what he'd call 'normal'.

Vincent landed lightly on his feet, his ruby eyes narrowed as he surveyed the quivering--and hopefully--now-dead birds. He reloaded the Cerberus and snapped it closed, wondering idly if all of the monsters in this world were as small as those he'd encountered so far. If so, his worries had been groundless. He would have more than enough ammunition to carry him though this, no matter how damage-resistant they were.

He looked up as Leon approached him, noting that the other man had a deep scratch across his upper arm. "You're injured," he said with concern. "Do you need a potion?"

Leon raised one tawny eyebrow as he watched him pull a small bottle out of his supply pack. Clear, glittering liquid swirled around inside of the faceted vial, and he shook his head quickly, not wanting to know what was inside. "Thanks, but it's only a scratch."

Vincent only nodded as he flipped his cape back and holstered his gun in one smooth motion. He looked down at the potion in his left hand, which he had bought from a vending machine in Midgar, before tucking it away. Apparently, they treated wounds differently here. He thought of the fine brown powder that Genesis had forced down his throat and shuddered. It had smelled bad and tasted worst. He much preferred the potions that nearly every vendor on The Planet sold in an assortment of pleasing flavors.

Billy approached him, a wary look in his dark blue eyes. "That was some show," he said in a voice that bordered on caustic. "Do you mind telling us how you did all of that Jet Li shit?"

Vincent gazed at him with puzzled ruby eyes. "I'm not sure I know what you mean," he said at length.

"The acrobatics," Leon supplied with a crooked smile. "You know, all the jumping and flipping?"

"Oh." He merely shrugged. "It was a part of my training when I first joined The Turks. You must train your soldiers differently here."

"Yeah, just a little." Billy eyed him for a moment longer before shaking his dark head. "You've got some slick moves, pal. I'm glad you're on our side."

One corner of his mouth curved upwards in a slight gesture that passed for a smile. "Thank you."

Rebecca watched the deceptively slender man with a combination of concern and clinical interest. After watching him break the lock on that desk, she'd known that he was much stronger than he looked, but she hadn't quite realized just how unusual he truly was. He was stronger and faster than any human being she'd ever seen, and she was left to wonder if human was the right term to use. He was from a different world, one where magic was apparently used in day-to-day life. Maybe, on his world, superhuman abilities were normal, as well. It would go a long way towards explaining what they had seen of Vincent Valentine so far!

Vincent fought the urge to squirm under Rebecca's intense perusal. He'd known from the first that they would see him as 'different'. He was an unusual man in his world, as well. The only question was how much his rather unique abilities would matter to those he had chosen to follow. He did not want to find himself alone here, in a world that was so alien to him.

A heavy sigh escaped him. He missed his own world more and more with each hour that passed. How was he going to survive in a world so much different than own, without the friends he had come to rely on so greatly?

Rebecca watched the play of emotions on his startlingly handsome features with concern. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," he said shortly, then felt compelled to add, "Your world is just so different from my own."

She nodded, her pale green eyes showing sympathy. "You must miss it."

"Very much." Vincent managed a smile for the slight young woman, not wanting to cause her any more worry. "Thank you, though."

Rebecca's breath caught as that smile lit up his too-brilliant red eyes. He really _was_ good-looking, she thought a blush. And strangely enough, he seemed totally oblivious to the fact, which was surprising in itself. Even Leon, who was one of the nicest men she'd ever met, was all too aware of how good-looking he was. He wasn't too modest about it, either.

She caught Billy scowling at her and blushed harder. His only response was to grunt and pull her closer to him. She slipped an arm around his waist and laid her head on his chest. It didn't matter how good-looking anyone else was, her heart laid with her husband. It had from the first moment he'd trained that Beretta on her in the Ecliptic Express ten years ago, and that would never change.

Leon grinned as Vincent began to search the ruined room, totally oblivious to the fact that Billy was glowering at him jealously. Billy was his closest friend, but he wasn't blind to the other man's faults. He was cave man possessive of Rebecca Chambers, and he made no apologies for it. He loved the woman with everything in him, and Leon knew that he wouldn't hesitate to beat the shit out of any man who attempted to come between them.

Fortunately, Vincent hadn't seemed to notice either's reaction to him. He was focused on helping them with what he called their 'quest', and so far, he hadn't let anything distract him. They didn't know anything more about him than they had an hour ago, but he had a feeling that Vincent's silence wasn't intentional. It was simply a part of his personality. A talker, he wasn't.

Vincent approached a row of lockers, obviously belonging to the facility's employees, and began to search them. He found a small, leather-bound book and opened it, frowning as he realized that it was a personal journal. In it, he found vague references to all of the projects Leon had said to look for, but from the perspective of one who was intimately involved. Surely, this was the sort of proof he needed to take his President?

It was then that he felt it. An indescribable sensation stirred in the depths of his tattered soul, his already enhanced senses heightening to an almost painful degree. He whirled around, the book forgotten, as his scarlet gaze darted frantically around the room. He absently noted the frown Leon sent his way, dimly registering his voice as he spoke, but found himself unable to respond. Something was wrong here, and suddenly, he was very much afraid that he knew what it was.

The command trickled through him at a chromosomal level, dominating his senses, demanding a response that he wasn't capable of giving. It was--and would always be--perverted by the very nature of what he had become. His patchwork genetic structure struggled sluggishly to respond to the subliminal call, even though such a response was impossible. The dichotomy ripped painfully through his body as the two opposing forces fought one another for dominance. Yet, neither Sephiroth nor Genesis had done this. No, he could feel _Cloud_ as, for the very first time, he attempted to use his inborn abilities to send out the call for Reunion.

"No," he murmured, unaware that he had spoken aloud, "Cloud, stop. What are you _doing?"_

The struggle ended as the beast within him finally roared to life. Despite his best efforts to control it, Chaos was responding to the summons, trying to force his body into the change. It saw the call for Reunion as a threat to its existence, and it strove to end that threat as it always had, by attempting to overpower its unwilling host and take control of him.

In the past, the Prota-Materia had always prevented that, keeping the monster in check. He had lost control briefly during the struggle against Deep Ground, but only because it had been removed. It had since been returned to him, leaving him to wonder if the lack of magic in this world was somehow affecting that part of him.

Then, it no longer mattered. His vision went red, covering everything in a crimson haze, as he wavered between awareness and oblivion. He was aware only of Chaos as he fought bitterly to keep the being trapped within the core of him. Agony spread through his him, wracking his body with shudders, as he struggled valiantly to keep it contained.

Leon watched with astonishment as Vincent dropped to his knees, his entire body shaking violently. An animalistic roar escaped him even as his abnormal ruby eyes changed. They took on a glow, stunning him with its intensity, as they narrowed to angry slits. The air around his body seemed to take on an electrical charge, and the fine hairs on arm rose in response to the atmospheric change.

"Get away from him," he ordered, leveling the Blacktail on the fallen man and backing away.

"He's in pain," Rebecca said as she rushed towards him. "He needs help."

"No!" Billy grabbed her arm and jerked her away from him. "Get the fuck away from him, Rebecca."

"But, Billy--"

Vincent released another animalistic growl, and she allowed her husband to pull her back. "What's happening to him, Billy?"

"I don't know," he said grimly, training his Magnum on the other man's head. "It looks like he's mutating or something."

"But he's from another world. He can't be a B.O.W.," she protested, then winced as Vincent's armor-clad left hand dug into the floor, cracking the cement with an ease no normal human possessed. "Oh, God! What is he?"

Billy only shook his head as he continued to back away. "I wish I knew, sweetheart."

As he listened to his friends, Leon realized that Claire had been right. Vincent Valentine _couldn't_ be trusted, not because he was unworthy of it, but simply because he wasn't human. It was with a heavy heart that Leon tightened his grip on his gun and began to pull the trigger.

"Don't." Vincent raised his head, his pale features glistening with sweat, his voice an inhuman snarl. "If you harm me, it will kill you once it emerges."

Leon's lips tightened with strain at the garbled plea. He hesitated as he watched the humanity return to those startling ruby eyes. "Vincent. . ."

"No!" Vincent told him urgently. "Leave me behind if you must, but for your own safety, do _not_ attack it."

He slumped to the floor, his concern for his new allies enough to wrest control from Chaos' gasp. He lay there motionless, his fluttering closed as he gave into his exhaustion. He knew that they would leave him behind now, but that didn't matter. His own survival was not their concern but his own. If he was attacked, so be it. At least, Chaos would die with him.

Leon approached him warily, ignoring Billy's call to be careful. He kept the Blacktail trained on his head as he knelt beside him. He touched two fingers to the side of his neck, relieved as he felt Vincent's pulse beating steadily beneath his fingertips. "It's safe," he said over his shoulder. "He's unconscious."

"Yeah, sure he is." Billy approached cautiously, keeping a good five feet between them. "He's a fucking monster, Leon."

"I know." Leon sighed heavily and dropped back onto his haunches. "The question is, what do we do about it?"

The older man snorted in disbelief. "There's no question here, Leon. We plug him in the head and keep going."

"Billy!" Rebecca frowned as she shook her head. "We can't just kill him!"

"Why the fuck not?" her husband demanded angrily. "You saw him, honey. He was about to turn into a goddamn monster."

"But--"

He cut her off. "He knew what he was, and he hid it from us. What if he hadn't passed out? What if he'd attacked us? How long do you think we would've lasted against--" he made an abrupt gesture towards Vincent "_--that?"_

Leon sighed again as she fell silent. "Well, we can't just leave him here," he said finally.

"Why the fuck not?" Billy asked with disbelief.

He frowned darkly. "Because he's defenseless, Billy."

The other man crossed his arms over his chest, his fine features turning stubborn. "So, what? We wait for him to wake up and kill us?"

"Yes, that's exactly what we do," he answered quietly.

It was Billy's turn to frown. "Leon--"

Leon cut him off. "He said it would kill us only if _we_ harmed _him. _We haven't, so we should be safe."

"And if you're wrong?" Billy glanced at Rebecca, whose pale green eyes were still wide with shock. "I'm not willing to risk our lives on a supposition, Leon."

Leon hesitated, his mind flashing back to Spain, when the Las Plagas he'd been injected with had caused him to attack Ada. "I know what he's going through, Billy. I've been there. You two can go on if you want, but I'm staying here."

"You're fucking crazy, Kennedy." Billy looked from his closest--and only--friend, to his wife. "Well, sweetheart, what do you want to do?"

"I think we should stay," Rebecca answered instantly. She grasped his hand with her own, her gaze meeting and holding his. "Vincent saved your life, Billy. I don't care if he's human or not. We can't just abandon him. We owe him that much, at least."

"I was afraid you were going to say that." He made an angry sound, his expression sour, as he threw himself down on the tattered sofa. "Fine, we'll stay. But if our new friend turns on us, I'll kill him. Got it?"

"Got it." She smiled and reached down to touch the side of his face with gentle fingers. "See Leon, I told you he was nice."

Her husband snorted even as he covered her hand with his. "Don't start that shit again, sweetheart. I'm an asshole and I'm proud of it."

Leon smiled faintly as he watched his two closest friends share a tender kiss. He wondered if he and Ada would ever be able to have that kind of relationship, and then shook his head negatively. Neither one of them was trusting enough to be that open with another person. He knew that she loved him in her own way, and he returned the sentiment, but kids and a white-picket fence would never be a part of it. She'd accepted that a long time ago. Maybe it was time that he did, as well.

He glanced at Vincent, frowning as he noticed the book on the floor beside him. He picked it up and opened it, his heart stuttering as he realized just what the other man had found. As he read about the experiments this researcher had taken part in, he realized that going to President Graham would be a mistake. Especially, since the Secret Service had been visiting this installation on a regular basis for the past four years.

"Shit," he muttered with disgust. No wonder Graham had been such a dick about this! He'd warned Leon to stay away from Albert Wesker, citing international law and expounding on foreign treaties. He was just protecting his interests, after all. "Graham's out, guys. Take a look at this."

He tossed the journal to Billy, whose midnight eyes narrowed as he began to read. "We are so screwed."

"Oh, no." Rebecca covered her mouth with one hand as she read with him. "What are we going to do now, Leon?"

"We're not going to worry about collecting any samples, that's for damn sure." Leon rose to his feet, his clear blue eyes glinting angrily. "We'll destroy each and every experiment in this damned place if we have to, but we're going to end this here and now."

"And just how are we going to do that?" Billy questioned caustically.

Leon didn't answer, merely reached up and pulled the transmitter's mouthpiece towards his lips. "Chris, it's Leon. I've got a head's-up for you."

"_What is it, Leon?"_

"It looks like Graham might've been funding this little house of horrors," he informed him grimly. "Vincent found a diary belonging to one of the researchers here, and it says that the Secret Service visit this place on a regular basis."

"_Son of a bitch!"_ There was a pause, and then, _"How do you want to play this?"_

"I think we should go through this facility room by room, and kill everything we come across. We destroy anything that even _looks_ like it might be a B.O.W., and we make damn sure that when we blow the place, _nothing_ survives."

"_Alright," _the other man replied simply. _"We're heading into the sub-levels, now. You take care of the first floor and meet us below when you're through. We'll finish this together."_

"We'll see you there. Leon, out." Leon ended the transmission with a cold, satisfied smile. "Well, Billy, it looks like you get your wish. We kill everything we come across, B.O.W. or not, and just blow the place. How does sound?"

"Perfect." Billy made an abrupt gesture towards Vincent. "What about him?"

"We take him with us," Leon reloaded the Blacktail and holstered it. "We passed an infirmary a little while ago. We'll backtrack and give Vincent a chance to rest before we continue. Any objections?"

"Plenty, but I'll save my breath." Billy stood and reloaded his own weapon. "You want me to carry him?"

"That won't be necessary."

Leon turned at the whispered words, surprised to see Vincent awake, if not quite steady, as he pulled himself into a sitting position. "How are you feeling?"

Vincent remained silent, watching with wary ruby eyes as the other man crouched before him. "Why did you stay with me?" he asked finally, his voice dangerously weak.

"Because it was the right thing to do." The blond man smiled crookedly as he added, "I don't leave any of my men behind, Vincent."

Vincent was startled by the implication behind his words. "I am not one of your men," he pointed out tiredly.

"For now, you are," came the simple response.

He searched the other man's bright blue gaze, reading the truth in their depths, and was humbled by the acceptance he saw there. "Then, I thank you."

Leon nodded, causing his bangs to slide into his face. "How long is it going to take you to recover?"

"Not long."

Vincent reached into his pack and fumbled with a potion. He finally pulled one free, opened it, and raised it to his lips. He drank the magical concoction quickly, closing his eyes as his strength began to return. He replaced the crystal stopper and set the vial aside, hating that he'd had to waste it. He only carried four potions at any given time, partly because he needed the room in his pack for his weaponry, but mostly because he didn't usually need them. Unlike the humans he had cut down so easily upon his arrival, he could take a great deal of damage.

He pushed himself to his feet slowly, not wanting to startle his comrades. They had been scared by his transformation, and he didn't want them to fear him. He might not be fully human anymore, but he wasn't a complete monster. "If I frightened you, I apologize," he told them solemnly.

Billy only shook his dark head at that. "Of course, we were scared," he snapped impatiently. "I don't know how it is in your world, but here, we kill men who mutate into bioweapons."

Vincent frowned at that. "I am not a bioweapon, Billy."

Rebecca tilted her head to one side as she scrutinized him. "Then, what are you, Vincent?"

The question hung in the air between them as he looked away. "I can't even begin to explain that to you."

Billy crossed his arms over his muscular torso. "Try," he said with a sneer.

Vincent sighed heavily, wondering where to begin. "My first real assignment after joining The Turks was to protect a Shinra scientist by the name of Dr. Lucrecia Crescent. She and Professor Hojo were running top-secret experiments in the basement of the Shinra Mansion in Nibelheim."

"You were human then?" Leon asked quietly.

"Yes," he answered in a low voice. "We. . .I fell in love with Lucrecia, and for a time, I thought she felt the same. Until the day I discovered that she blamed herself for my father's death, and that I reminded her of him."

Ouch, Billy thought with an unwilling rush of sympathy. Aloud, he only said, "So, what happened next?"

Vincent reached under his cape to touch the spot where the Proto-Materia lay--the place where his heart had once been. "She left me for another man. She said that if I loved her, I'd place her happiness before my own, and accept it. I did."

"But that's horrible!" Rebecca exclaimed softly. "I can only imagine how much that must have hurt."

He only shrugged, his crimson eyes veiled, as he continued. "Lucrecia became pregnant, and decided to use her own child as a test subject in the Jenova experiments."

"Sephiroth?" Leon questioned sharply.

"I'm afraid so." Vincent crossed his arms over his chest, unknowingly drawing attention to his armored hand. "I was stunned when she and Hojo informed me of their plans, but I felt that I had no right to protest her decision. We were no longer lovers. Indeed, she seemed to resent my presence there. Our relationship had become that of employer and employee, because that was the way that she wanted it."

"Why did she tell you at all?" Billy asked. "Especially, in front of the new boyfriend?"

"I honestly don't know, Billy." Vincent sighed heavily. "At the time, I thought that she was doing it to get rid of me, trying to hurt me enough to make me ask for reassignment. Now, I'm not so sure."

"She wanted you to care enough to stop her, didn't she?" Rebecca pulled away from her husband and approached him with a sympathetic expression. "She'd realized that she made a mistake, and she was hoping to provoke some kind of response from you. She wanted you to come back to her."

"Probably," he acknowledged flatly. "But I was young, then. I was only twenty-five, and I'd never been in love before. Three months after she'd left me, I was still trying to figure out what _I_ had done to drive her away. It never occurred to me that she might be regretting the dissolution of our relationship."

Vincent tapped his gold-covered fingers against his arm in an absent gesture. "She began to have complications from the moment the Jenova cells were injected into her. She was in pain throughout most of her pregnancy, and it rarely abated. She had frequent fainting spells, and finally, I couldn't take it any longer. She was hurting, and I had to help her."

"I went to Hojo and demanded that he abort the child and end the experiment. He refused and called me an infatuated boy. I threatened to go to his superiors and reveal just what he had been doing. That's when he killed me."

A tense silence followed his words, and Vincent smiled without humor. "I only remember bits and pieces after that. I woke up in one of the experimentation tanks, and Hojo was there, arguing with Lucrecia. The next time I awoke, I was alone. That's when I first realized something was wrong."

Vincent raised his hands up before him, remembering the first moment he'd seen the claw that had replaced his left hand. He had been confused, unsure of what was happening to him, and then Chaos had made its presence known.

"I was a monster," he murmured, clenching and unclenching that cursed hand. "I still didn't understand what had happened, until Lucrecia entered the room and began to speak. She kept apologizing as she tried to explain how she had saved my life. I didn't understand it all, but I realized she had used the same entity that had taken my father's life to save mine. I was no longer completely human, but I was _alive,_ and that's what seemed to matter to her."

Poor bastard, Leon thought with a shake of his head. He thought of Ada, who had actually died to protect him, and smiled faintly. "Women," he said with a snort of laughter, attempting to lighten the mood.

Vincent looked up, startled, before reluctantly returning that smile. "I quite agree. They are the strangest of creatures."

Billy laughed a little at that, grateful that his taste in woman wasn't as bad as either of the other men's. "They're not all bad," he said, throwing a wink Rebecca's way.

She merely smiled sweetly. "You just got lucky, Billy."

He nodded in vigorous agreement. "That I did, sweetheart."

"Is there anything else you would like to know?" Vincent asked as politely as he could.

"Can you control it?" Leon asked bluntly.

"Normally, yes." Vincent made a helpless gesture with one hand. "The Proto-Materia that Lucrecia used to replace my heart may be malfunctioning. Possibly because there is no magic in your world, but that is only a theory."

Leon nodded. "And that's what allows you control it?"

"Yes."

"One more thing." Leon met and held his unusual gaze. "Are we in danger if you change, again?"

"No," Vincent stated flatly. "It will only harm you if you harm it--or me. The only reason I reacted the way that I did is because I was fighting it. It is strong, but I am stronger. As much as I hate it, Chaos is a part of me, and always will be."

Leon went completely still at the name. "You called it Chaos?" he asked tensely. The other man nodded, and let out a harsh breath. "We have an agent on the inside here. Well, she's more like a double-agent, but she's on our side."

Billy snorted his opinion of Ada Wong, and Leon ignored him. "She says that a man called G has promised to deliver something called Chaos to Wesker."

"Genesis," Vincent murmured with a sinking feeling.

"I'm beginning to think so." Leon drew his gun and chambered a bullet. "If you are half as powerful as this G says, we can't let you fall into Wesker's hands."

Vincent nodded, taking refuge behind his sable hair, as sorrow filled him. "Will you kill me, then?" he asked tonelessly

"Of course not," Leon responded with a scowl. "You're safety has just become our first priority, Vincent. Keeping you alive and out of Wesker's clutches is vital. Blowing this facility will just be a bonus."

"But. . ." Vincent's voice trailed off as he realized just what the other man was saying. "Chaos _is_ powerful, but not in the way that you think. Genesis believes that he can somehow harness it to heal Weiss and return to our world. He doesn't understand the nature of the beast, or he would never attempt to use it."

"And exactly what is its nature?" Rebecca questioned.

"It is chaos, is its name implies. I am the only one who can control it, and I would never willingly use it to harm others. I use it only in defense of those who cannot protect themselves. To do otherwise would be a perversion of _my_ nature."

"Somebody's got a hero-complex," Billy muttered under his breath.

"Give it a rest, Coen." Leon sighed and rubbed the headache that was beginning to form behind his eyes. "Okay, we stick with the new plan. We clear this floor of B.O.W.s, and meet S.T.A.R.S. in the basement. Vincent, your job is to keep yourself alive and free. Billy, Rebecca, you protect him, make sure nothing happens to him. Understood?"

Rebecca frowned delicately at his words. "What about you, Leon?"

He brought the Blacktail up before him. "I think I can take care of myself," he answered wryly.

"As can I," Vincent said with a hint of anger. "If we are to be allies, we must be equal. My life is _not_ worth more than any of yours."

"And if Genesis gets his hands on you, we're all screwed," Leon told him bluntly. "I'd just as soon avoid that, if it's all the same to you."

He merely gazed at the other man before shrugging. "As you wish."

Leon eyed him warily, surprised by the sudden capitulation. "That's it?" he questioned sharply. "No more arguments?"

"No," Vincent said flatly. "You are in charge, Leon. I will follow any order you give me, whether I agree with it or not."

"I'm not sure I like the sound of that," Billy said quietly, thinking of his time in the Marines.

"Well, I'm sure I don't." Leon looked at the leather-clad man with exasperation. "I don't want you to follow orders blindly, Vincent. I know you don't know me well, but I need you to be able to trust my judgment. We've been fighting Wesker and Umbrella for ten years and lived to tell about it. We're survivors because we're the best. Period."

Vincent didn't respond, and he sighed again. "I just want you to be careful. It would be a disaster if Wesker got his hands on you. Take my word on _that."_

"All right." Vincent drew the Cerberus and gestured with his free hand. "Lead the way, and I will do my best to keep us all safe from harm."

"That works." Leon glanced at Billy and nodded once. "Let's go."

As they each took their assigned place behind him, Vincent only hoped that he could control Chaos as well as he believed. Otherwise, his unnaturally long life would come to a very abrupt end. As Leon had said, they were survivors for a reason.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, who are the property of Capcom and Square-Enix, respectively.

Synopsis: If you've played Dirge Of Cerberus, and you got the secret ending, you'll have an idea of what I'm planning. If not, you'll figure it out soon enough.

Author's Note: This chapter: Wesker's first appearance ('Nuff said!), Cloud and Co. make some new friends, Vincent explains a little more. Beta'd by the incredible Littlehouseinthewoods!

* * *

Chapter Five

Albert Wesker sat before a large wall of monitors, watching the intruders with a combination of amusement and detached curiosity. The strangely-dressed newcomers were making their way through the facility's sub-levels, headed straight for an unsuspecting S.T.A.R.S.. He wondered briefly how Chris would react to the strangers, and then shrugged the thought away. It wouldn't matter if he allied with them or killed them. Despite what G thought, they didn't need the one called Cloud to secure Chaos. _That_ he could do on his own. Chris and his precious S.T.A.R.S. comrades would die soon enough--at his hands, of course.

He smiled to himself, the cold gesture hiding a very real hatred, as he tapped the ball under his fingertips. The scenes on the monitors changed, and his concealed gaze locked onto it. He could see Chaos now, a bizarre sight in black leather and a rather dramatically tattered red cloak, as he followed Graham's lapdog through B1. As much as he hated the sight of Leon Kennedy, the former Raccoon City policeman was no more than a bit player here. Krauser would eliminate him when the time was right, and _this_ time, he would not fail.

Provided, of course, that he could keep Ada from interfering again. She had absolutely no problems following his orders, so long as it suited her to do so. That independent streak was part of what made her such a good agent. Unfortunately, it also meant that he could never completely trust her. Especially, when it came to Leon Kennedy.

He was still angry with her over the debacle in Spain. She'd completed the mission and retrieved the Master Plaga sample as ordered, but she had also gone against orders to save Kennedy's life. She had tried to kill Krauser instead, and had very nearly succeeded. If not for the G-Virus variation that he had been injected with at the start of the mission, he would have died on that island. While his death wouldn't have been a huge loss, it had shown him just where Ada Wong's loyalty lied.

As she herself had once told him, she would do whatever was required to finish the mission, but she would not allow anyone harm Kennedy. Krauser's loyalty was only to _him,_ and not just because he paid so well. No, it was the power that he himself had given to other man that had secured his unquestioned devotion.

But for now, he needed Ada Wong and her formidable survival skills. The day that changed, he would take care of her himself.

He heard the murmur of voices behind him and swiveled the chair around, observing G and what he called his 'family' with slight annoyance. The one called Weiss had finally regained consciousness, and G was hovering over him in like a mother-hen with her favorite chick. Nero was there as well, his unnatural reddish gaze locked on his 'brother' with obvious concern.

Wesker glanced towards the doorway, where Krauser stood wearing his trademark sneer as he also observed them. His head turned suddenly, his expression eloquent, and Wesker shook his head negatively. The other man went back to his silent vigil, obviously not happy, but following orders like the good little soldier that he was. He didn't like G, and he'd never bothered to hide it. Albert knew that he was looking forward to the day when he could kill the strange being and be done with him. What Krauser didn't realize was that, although G's power was limited in their magicless world, he was still far more powerful than either of them. If it ever came down to a battle between them, they would lose.

Chaos would change that, Wesker thought with anticipation. G intended to use Chaos' power to open a permanent portal between their worlds. He would rule The Planet, as he called it, while his Umbrella allies ruled theirs in unison. The power to be gained from harnessing Chaos was nearly unlimited, but Wesker had no intention of sharing it with G. Once Chaos was unleashed, the being who called himself Genesis would be in for one hell of a surprise.

As though reading his thoughts, Genesis stepped away from his ailing 'brother' and turned towards the ruler of Umbrella, a confident smile lighting his too-handsome features. Chaos was nearly within their grasp, as was Jenova's child. While they didn't need Cloud Strife's power, they did need him to control Chaos. He had proven to be singularly difficult, and most untrustworthy. His foolish attachment to the humans he called friends, however, would take care of _that _quickly enough_._

"It is nearly time," he announced, approaching the bank of monitors. His pale blue eyes, no longer that glowing with that shocking, unearthly light, met those of his benefactor. They gleamed with tawny scarlet light, clearly visible through the dark sunglasses covering them, and Genesis' smile widened. "Your loathing of these humans is quite amusing, considering that you were once one of them."

"Once, but no longer," Wesker reminded in a calm voice. He rested his elbows on the arms of his chair and tented his fingers together beneath his chin. "As were you, I believe."

The amusement was gone, leaving a very angry demi-god in its wake. "The Cetra were _never_ human," Genesis all but spat.

"Hmmmm." Wesker smiled inwardly at the other man's reaction. While he might not be quite powerful enough to crush this magical being, he _could_ defeat him in other, more subtle ways. "Your world is an unusual place. Imagine, having two races, so similar to one another, yet completely different, occupying the same planet. Such a coexistence must have produced spectacular conflicts."

Genesis scowled as he thought of his weak, peace-seeking ancestors. "They were fools, driven to the brink of extinction by their pacifist beliefs."

Wesker raised one blond brow at that. "But not you."

The flat statement brought the smile back to his face. "No, not me," he agreed, the merriment returning. "I flourished as the others perished around me, untouched by the madness that infected them all."

Wesker resisted the urge to laugh at his words. If G only knew just how he appeared to others, he would quickly realize that he hadn't escaped that madness completely unscathed. Oh, well, Albert thought with a mental shrug. That mental instability would play right into _his_ hands when the time was right. Until then. . .

"Perhaps, I should release the Sweepers now," he mused aloud. "It would be quite entertaining to see how this Cloud deals with them _en mass."_

Genesis slid him a sidelong glance, bothered by his continued interest in Sephiroth's clone. "He is unimportant in the face of Chaos, but if it _amuses _you to do so. . ." he let his voice trail off, his meaning clear perfectly clear to the man with the animalistic eyes.

Wesker smiled thinly at the veiled threat and turned the chair back to the console. "It does."

He entered the code that would release the Sweepers and settled back to wait. As proud as he was of the poison-carrying Hunters, he wasn't ready to simply dismiss Cloud Strife, as G had already done. After all he had heard of Jenova, Sephiroth, and their failed attempts at Reunion, he was more than curious about the failed experiment which had destroyed them both.

* * *

Cloud watched with a small smile as Reeve tested the weight of the small machine gun he had given him. He wished that the other man had used one of his Cait Sith models for this journey, instead of insisting on coming along in person. Reeve was a good man, but he wasn't a warrior. He was the man who had taken on the responsibility of rebuilding their shattered world, and he should be there now, raising funds for disaster relief, not fighting in an alien reality to rescue his friend.

He leaned back against the doorjamb, glancing into the hallway outside of the armory. So far, they hadn't run into any more monsters, but he wasn't taking any chances. The number of dead bodies they'd seen between B4 and the armory spoke volumes. Something bad had happened here, and was probably still happening. Whatever it was, he wouldn't let it stop him. He was bound and determined to find Vincent, no matter what.

Damn it, Vincent, he thought sadly. Why didn't you ever tell us? Why didn't you _trust _us? That was the crux of the matter. It wasn't the fact that Vincent might share Jenova's mometic legacy that bothered him. It was the fact that he had kept such an important secret from them for so long. Vincent should have known that he--of all people--would understand.

And he believed that he did. Vincent hated what Lucrecia and Hojo had done to him. He honestly believed that it made him less than human. They had never treated him any differently because of his unique abilities, and they never would. It simply didn't matter to them. Vincent _knew_ that, and had still chosen to hide the truth from them.

"Cloud?"

He glanced at Tifa, who was watching him with a concerned expression. "What is it, Tifa?"

"I'm worried about you," she said in a quiet voice.

He smiled faintly, reaching out to take her hand. "Don't be," he told her in a murmur. "I'm just thinking things through."

She sighed and shifted closer. "You know, don't you?"

Brilliant blue eyes flew to hers, surprise widening them dramatically, at the whispered words. "How did you--?"

He broke off, his glance straying to the others, and she only shook her head. "The abyss," she said softly. "It accepted you and Vincent but none of us. That's when I started putting it all together. Vincent was in the Shinra Mansion during the Jenova Project. He was killed by Hojo, and brought back by Lucrecia, who had already used Jenova cells on her unborn child. It stood to reason that she would have used them on Vincent, as well."

Cloud nodded slowly. "I don't know for sure," he told her, "but yeah, it makes sense."

Tifa shifted until she could lay her head on his shoulder. "Does it make a difference to _you_?" she asked candidly.

"No." He slipped an arm around her waist and hugged her to him, turning his face into her fall of rich brown hair. "Vincent isn't to blame for any of it. I just wished he'd been honest with me."

"Maybe, he doesn't know." He snorted quietly, and she smiled into his neck. "There's so much he doesn't know or understand about himself, Cloud. Maybe, if we're right, this is one of those things."

"Yeah, maybe," he replied, unconvinced. He sighed heavily and closed his eyes for a moment, drawing comfort from her presence. "I love you, Tifa."

"I love you, too," she returned simply.

"Hey, you two, break it up."

Cloud lifted his head to find Cid grinning at him and groaned silently. It was hard to find privacy when you surrounded by five of your closest friends. "Go away," he ordered, closing his eyes once more. "We're busy."

"Cloud!" Tifa lifted her head, blushing hard as wiggled out of his arms. "It's not like we're _doing _anything."

"You're damned right you're not!" Barret blustered. "You'd better wait till we get back home to start _that_ shit!"

"Yeah," Yuffie chimed in, waving her arms in front of her, "that's something I definitely don't need to see!"

Reeve merely laughed, his deep voice booming through the small room. "I'm sorry, Cloud, I just can't help it," he gasped breathlessly.

Nanaki smiled, revealing sharp canine teeth. "Maybe, we should leave them alone, Reeve," he said in a rare moment of whimsy, and Reeve doubled over.

Cid's own grin widened as a matching blush bloomed in Cloud's cheeks. "We're just messin' with you, kid," he said in a drawl, adding, "What can I say? You two looked way too serious over there."

Cloud shook his head, fighting a smile at his friends' antics. "Gee, thanks, Cid. I don't know what we'd ever do without you," he drawled facetiously.

"You'd find yourself walkin' a hellova lot more, that's for sure!"

He only rolled his eyes, pushing away from the doorframe. "Well, if you guys are ready, I think we should start some of that walking now."

"Hell, ya!" Yuffie responded enthusiastically. "Let's find Vincent and go home!"

Well, somebody's feeling better, Cloud thought as he drew his favorite sword. Aloud, he only said, "I'm all for that. Come on."

He led them back into the hallway, frowning slightly as the lights began to flicker. "Keep your guard up," he ordered grimly. "This isn't looking too good."

"You can say that, again," Barret mumbled uneasily. "If these lights go out. . ."

"I know." Cloud crept forward slowly, the Buster Sword held out before him. There sputtering lights overhead created a odd effect as it flickered on the white-coated bodies that littered the hall. They almost seemed to move, to twitch, in time with the wavering brightness. But there no sound accompanying the movements, so he attested it to an overactive imagination. There were in a strange world, and they'd already been attacked by a monster unfamiliar to them. It was only natural that they be nervous.

That _he_ be nervous, Cloud acknowledged silently. The others were doing just fine. If one of them had noticed something out of place, they would have mentioned it. Since they hadn't, he knew that it had to be him. He was worried about Vincent, and what would happen once they caught up to him. If this Genesis was even half as powerful as Sephiroth, they were going to have a tough battle ahead of them. Vincent had known that, which was why he had gone to such great lengths to keep the being away from them.

The lights winked out suddenly, leaving them in the dark, and he cursed under his breath. "Stay together. Try to keep an eye on the person in front of you and--"

Then the emergency lights came on, bathing the corridor in an eerie red glow, and he sighed with relief. "Nevermind," he muttered with a touch of irritation. And then, he heard it.

A low moan sounded, followed by the scrape of clothing on the cold tile floor. The body directly in front of him rose into a sitting position, swaying like a marionette, as it raised its red head. Its dead eyes locked onto his, a startling shade of maroon, and Cloud could have sworn that he saw intelligence behind those unusual eyes. Just like the odd creatures that had attacked them in the basement of the Shinra Mansion, minus the second head. Hopefully, this one wouldn't possess any magic!

"A zombie," he threw over his shoulder as he raised the sword high. "Barret, check the rear. Do you see any more of them?"

The moan quickly multiplied, the spine-chilling sounds echoing through the passage, an answer in itself. "You know what to do, people. Be careful."

"We will," Tifa said as she brought her fisted hands up before her.

"Gawd, I hate zombies!" Yuffie exclaimed with disgust.

"You're not the only one," Barret returned disgruntledly. "Damned nasty creatures."

"And then some," Cid chimed in grimly.

Nanaki lowered his muzzle, his russet feline eyes narrowing. "Just don't let them bite you, Reeve," he warned. "That really hurts. It's the worst thing about them."

Reeve, who had only fought zombies using a Cait Sith unit, nodded. "I'll be careful."

Cloud drew a deep breath as the zombie finally gained its feet. It hissed at him, a reddish mist escaping its lips, before rushing towards him with a speed it shouldn't have possessed. Startled, he lashed out with his sword, cutting the undead monster in half. The zombie slid apart, the torso landing a good two feet from its legs, and he grimaced at the thick blood that poured from both halves.

Then, the reanimated corpse stretched its arms out and began to pull itself towards him, even as the detached legs began to undulate. He began to back away and pulled himself up short. He could feel one of his comrades at his back, reminding him of how little room they had to maneuver here. He glanced back at the torso, which was rapidly approaching, and then at the legs.

A large, pale blob was emerging from the severed hips, pushing its way through what was left of the zombie's organs. They plopped to the ground with a disgusting sound, unheeded by the pinkish organism that was currently growing at an astonishingly rapid rate. Several bubbles formed over its smooth surface, each separate protuberance splitting straight down the middle. The lumps began to open, revealing a hazel eye with a slitted pupil in the center of each.

Damn! Cloud thought uneasily. What the hell _was_ this thing? He felt something touch his foot and quickly glanced down. The zombie's torso had finally reached him, one decayed hand wrapping around his boot, as it used _him_ for leverage. He scowled and jerked his foot back, swinging it forward with all of his might. The kick connected solidly, sending the head flying down the hallway. The body went limp, the hand around his foot opening, and he hastily kicked the torso away.

Tifa gasped and dropped to a crouch beside him. "Cloud, look out!"

He looked up just in time to keep his own head from being separated from his body. He ducked as the multi-eyed blob stretched towards him, a blade-like appendage cutting through the air where his head had just been. He shifted and brought the Buster Sword up, cutting cleanly into the monster. He pushed the sword upwards, cleaving the creature in half. It dropped to the ground on either side of the ruined legs, pulling them with it. Both halves flopped around for a few seconds, those bizarre eyes blinking rapidly, before they finally stopped moving.

Cloud released a harsh breath and turned back towards his wife, whose brown eyes were huge with relief at the near-miss. "I'm fine, Tifa," he assured her quickly. "Help the others."

Barret was yelling an incoherent battle cry as the Missing score cut into the small throng of zombies on the other side of the corridor. Reeve was firing his newly acquired weapon in unison, taking Nanaki's advice as he aimed for the head. Nanaki himself waited patiently for a pause in the gunfire before scrambling forward and using his Sled Fang to knock the horde back. Cid had gone low and was using his spear to keep the advancing pack at bay. Yuffie had done the same, throwing her Oritsuru into the mob and maneuvering to catch it as it returned.

Tifa only frowned and shook her head. "I'm a martial-artist, Cloud. There's not much I can do here without getting in the way."

He made a frustrated sound as he realized that she was right. Without a long-range weapon, she would only be putting herself in jeopardy. "Go back into the armory and grab a gun," he told her urgently, terrified at the thought of her getting close to one those organisms. "Get as much ammo as you can carry and--"

"But I don't know how to use a gun, Cloud."

"_Damn it!"_ Cloud reached into his supply pack and pulled out several pieces of green materia. "Equip these, then. I won't lose you, Tifa, not ever."

Tifa reached out and took the magical spheres, frowning as the mako-light inside of them gleamed wanly. "Cloud, look at this."

He watched with a sickening sense of dread as the light within the balls of materia flickered dully. "Oh, Gawd," he mumbled fearfully. "What kind of world _is _this?"

"I don't know," she answered hesitantly. As she watched the mako within the materia dim, she suppressed a shudder. She quickly put them into her Platinum Gloves, grateful as they disappeared from sight. "I'll go get that gun now, if you'll teach me how to use it?"

"I will," he promised, even though he wasn't a great shot himself. "Barret, Cid, clear me a path back to the armory!"

"You got it, kid!" Cid yelled as he speared one particularly gruesome zombie through the head. "Heads up!"

Barret snorted even as he obliterated the creature emerging from the corpse's throat. "We're on it, Spiky!"

"Cloud." Tifa set a hand on his arm, drawing his attention back to her. She pointed down the long hallway, where several more zombies were shuffling out of the rooms ahead. "What do you want me to do?"

"Get behind me," he told her, his striking features grim as he realized that they were boxed in. "Barret, I could use your help over here. Yuffie, take his place."

"Will do," Yuffie responded much too cheerfully.

"Yo." Barret appeared at his side, his dark eyes glinting angrily. "These are the strangest zombies I've ever seen, Cloud. What the hell are those things coming out of their heads?"

Cloud shook his spiky head quickly, jerking his chin towards the approaching mob. "I need you to cut through them as quickly as possible. I want this corridor cleared before we return to the armory."

Barret cast a quick glance over his shoulder, nodding at Tifa, who looked both angry and afraid as her husband shifted to shield her body with his own. "Don't worry about a thing, Tifa. I've got these bitches."

She nodded once, attempting a smile. "Go get 'em, Barret."

He turned away, firing the Missing Score as quickly as the weapon would allow. She looked at her husband with a combination of affection and exasperation. "I'm not completely helpless, Cloud."

He only sighed and shifted closer, his brilliant gaze locking onto her own. "I don't want you anywhere near these things," he admitted in a low voice. "Once we get you a long-range weapon, you can fight. Until then, I'll protect you. I can't lose you, Tifa. I wouldn't survive it."

"Oh, Cloud." She echoed his sigh and touched the side of his face with one delicate, gloved hand. "Alright. I'll stay here like a good little girl, if you help Barret. Deal?"

Cloud opened his mouth to protest, then thought better of it. He and Barret were all that stood between her and the monsters. As much as he loved his wife, the other man was important to him too. "Deal," he said briskly, brushing his lips over hers and turning away.

Barret didn't look as he felt a familiar presence at his side. "She'll be okay, Spiky, so let's do this."

Cloud lifted the Buster Sword, one corner of his lips twisting a slight smile. "I'm with you, Barret."

The big man with gun-arm let out a holler as he opened fire once again. Flashes of light illuminated the red-tinged hallway in time with the shots, creating a strange visual effect. While these zombies weren't nearly as fast as the first had been, they seemed to be gaining more ground between muzzle flashes. While he knew that it had to be a trick of his mind, it was still damned unsettling.

Cloud shook his head and pulled a second sword from one of the many sheaths on his back. The Hardedge glinted in the light as he shifted to his right, away from the other man. "I'm going in," he said flatly. "Cover me."

"You got it."

He rushed forward, keeping his head down as Barret fired over him. Several of the zombies had already been destroyed, but more of the bizarre organisms had sprouted from their damaged skulls. A few of them wiggled grotesquely from the severed necks of their hosts, unable to do more than lash out feebly as they bled green ooze. The more aggressive ones scuttled towards him on spider-like legs, spewing a noxious green mist in his direction.

Cloud frowned as he swung with the Hardedge, knocking one of the insect-like organisms away from him. He turned his attention to the five that were scurrying towards, spreading out in an obvious attempt to flank him. They were smart, he thought grimly. He'd give them that. But they were still just undersized monsters.

There was a pause in the shooting as Barret reloaded, and he quickly took advantage of it. He straightened and shot forward, dodging the acidic spray from one while pinning another to the floor with the Buster Sword. It squealed loudly as he shifted his grip, swung himself around the sword, and cut one of its brethren in two.

He jerked the Buster Sword out of the floor, glanced at Barret, and crouched once more. Bullet holes scored into the tile one either side of him, cutting through the remaining creatures with deadly accuracy. Only one survived the onslaught, obviously injured as it scampering towards him on uneven legs. Its pasty skin took on a purplish hue as it began to change, expanding and contracting in a disturbing way.

Cloud began to back away, his bright eyes glued to the mutating monster. The insectoid legs were absorbed into the large mass it had become, replaced by four dog-like appendages. He watched with a combination of horror and disbelief as several rows of large, razor-like teeth burst forth. One large eye--hazel again--opened above it, the slitted pupil contracting as it focused on _him._

"Damn!" Cloud exclaimed, scrambling back as quickly as he could. "Everyone back--Now!"

The monster let out an ominous growl, dropping back on its haunches, and launched itself into the air. Cloud brought up both swords, praying they would be enough to stop this new threat. The sound of an explosion resonated through the corridor, filling it with a blinding white light. He shut his now sightless eyes and threw himself backwards in a desperate attempt to save his life.

"Hey, it's gone!" he head Yuffie exclaim with surprise, and cautiously opened his eyes.

What was left of the creature lay in a puddle of blob-like flesh on the ground less than a foot away from him. Only the large hazel eye remained, and even as he watched, a uniformed soldier stepped forward and leveled a gun on it. The eye exploded with a disgusting splat, disappearing into that grotesque puddle.

The man lowered his smoking gun, his navy eyes locking on his own, and Cloud quickly jumped to his feet. "Who are you?" he threw out harshly, locking both swords together to form one larger weapon.

Chris eyed the oddly dressed blond man with the oversized sword with only mild surprise. "Your name wouldn't be Cloud, would it?"

"How did you know that?" he asked, his mako-blue eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Are you one of Genesis' minions?"

"No. My name is Chris Redfield. I'm captain of S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team." At the younger man's unchanged expression, Chris sighed and touched the transmitter in his ear. "Leon, this is Chris. Over."

Only static met his words, and he frowned faintly. "Leon, this is Chris. If you can hear me, I've found some of Valentine's friends in B2. Meet us here as soon as you can. Redfield, out."

"Did he say Valentine?" Yuffie rushed forward, her ebony eyes bright with hope. "Have you seen Vincent? Do you know where he is?"

Jill stepped forward, her blue-gray eyes sweeping over the odd group, as the one called Cloud stuck an arm out to halt the girl. "Vincent is with our friend Leon's unit," she answered calmly. "Did you come through the same portal that he did?"

"We ain't tellin' you a damn thing, lady," Barret declared angrily.

"Yeah," Cid said with a nod. "Why don't _you_ tell _us_ how you managed to kill all those critters at once?"

"I used a flash grenade," Chris answered with a shrug, adding, "The Las Plagas are weak against intense light."

"While that's good to know, it still doesn't tell us who you are," Reeve returned simply.

Claire snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Vincent was a lot more trusting than these jerks," she said sourly. "Are you sure he's with them?"

Barry grunted at that. "Look at how they're dressed, Claire."

"Yeah, but still. . ."

Nanaki crept forward, halting beside Cloud, his mane swaying as he looked up at him. "I think we'll be okay, Cloud." There were several gasps from the strangers as they stared at him with amazed expressions. He ignored them as he added, "Had they wanted to harm us, they would have done so by now."

"No way!" Carlos exclaimed excitedly. "A talking dog?!"

He rushed around his commander to get a better look, and skidded to an abrupt stop, eyeing the sword that was suddenly inches away from his throat. Cloud gazed at him silently, his menacing expression a warning in itself. Carlos slowly began to back away from that sword, regretting his impulsiveness. As ridiculous as that oversized blade looked, he was willing to be that it was sharp as hell!

"Uh, sorry," he said quickly, flushing with embarrassment at the dark look Chris cast him. "I've never seen a talking dog before. I was just curious."

"I'm not a dog." A frown distorted Nanaki's leonine features. "I am Nanaki, son of Seto. I am the last of a race of great warriors."

"Of course, you're not a dog." Tifa knelt beside him and patted his furry back in a comforting gesture. "This world is just different from ours, that's all."

"And then some," Chris muttered with a shake of his head. He glanced at the carnage around them and grimaced. "You're lucky we came along when we did. Some of the newer B.O.W.s can mutate at rapid rates, especially the ones that carry the G-Virus variation."

Cloud studied the soldiers for a moment longer before lowering the sword. "What's a G-Virus?" he asked finally.

"The Gene Virus--or G-Virus, as it were--is a variation of Umbrella's original Tyrant-Virus," he explained. "It causes rapid mutation in its host, although it shouldn't have spread like this. It's one of the few Umbrella viruses that requires actual physical contact to be transmitted."

"Unfortunately, that no longer seems to be case," Jill murmured sadly at his side.

"No, it doesn't," he agreed grimly.

Cloud glanced at Tifa, who shook her head negatively, then at the remains of the dead creatures. "I thought you called them Las Plagas?"

Chris sighed heavily at that. "The Las Plagas is a parasite that takes control of its host. Like the G-Virus, it has to be injected into a human subject to induce transmutation. As you can see," he made a broad gesture, "they've somehow managed to combine it with the G-Virus."

"I'm just wondering how they managed to infect so many with it," Barry said flatly.

"Company-sponsored flu shots?" Claire guessed angrily. "Who knows how they did it, Barry. They did, and we're the ones who have to deal with it."

"Who cares about _that_ stuff?" Yuffie cried, her dark eyes flashing as she stomped one foot. "I want to know where Vincent is!"

"Calm yourself," Reeve told her severely. "We need all the information we can get about this world if we're going to survive in it."

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child, Reeve."

"Then, don't act like one," he returned impatiently.

"But, I. . ." Her voice trailed off as she glared at him before looking to Cloud.

"Reeve." Cloud saw the worry in her eyes and nodded at her, taking control of the situation. "You've obviously met Vincent," he said as he turned back to Chris. "He's the reason we're here. He was drawn through the portal by a being calling himself Genesis. We need to find him."

Chris intimated the gesture, his expression somber. "Valentine is with some of our allies. We're supposed to rendezvous down here. If you stick with us, you'll see him soon enough."

Cloud glanced at the others, who all nodded their agreement. "Fine," he said shortly, sheathing his sword in a swift movement. He made a curt gesture towards the voluptuous brunette at his side. "I'm Cloud, and this is my wife, Tifa."

"A pleasure," Tifa responded with a smile. She gestured towards the russet-colored animal at her feet. "You've met Nanaki."

Barret snorted at that. "They thought he was a dog, Tifa."

"Just a misunderstanding, Barret."

He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Barret Wallace," he threw out grudgingly.

"Cid Highwind," Cid said around the unlit cigarette dangling out of his mouth.

Reeve he stepped forward, his 'politician' face firmly in place. "I'm Reeve Tuesti, chairman of the World Regenesis Organization. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Yuffie bowed dramatically. "Yuffie Kisaragi, ninja extraordinaire, at your service."

"Uh-huh." Claire eyed the thin, half-dressed young woman with a skeptical expression. "You're supposed to be a ninja? Where are the black pajamas?"

"Claire." Chris frowned at her darkly. "I'm sorry about my sister. She gets carried, away sometimes."

Yuffie eyed the tall, auburn-haired woman and sniffed disdainfully. "Whatever."

Cloud hid a smile as he said, "We're returning to the armory to get Tifa a weapon, if you want to come with us."

Chris nodded, his expression grave. "We could use some more ammo ourselves. Let me introduce my team--Cloud."

* * *

"This is bad."

"You can say that, again."

"Do I really need to?"

Leon shook his head negatively as he glanced throughout the obviously ruined laboratory. They'd made their way through the first floor of the facility with almost no opposition, but that obviously wasn't going to be the case here. Mesh-wire cages were strewn all over the place, jagged openings in the mesh itself speaking volumes. Whatever had been kept in those cages were out, and somehow, he didn't think they were lucky enough to just be Cerberus'.

For one thing, most of the cages were _big_. For another, there were large claw marks on both ruined doors. "Hunters, maybe," he murmured to himself.

"God, I hate Hunters," Billy muttered behind him.

"But why would they keep something as uncontrollable as a Hunter in a cage?" Rebecca questioned. "Usually, they grow them in the breeding tanks, under heavy sedation. I don't see how they could keep something so aggressive under control in this kind of environment."

"The Las Plagas, perhaps?" a deep voice suggested calmly.

Leon turned to find Vincent watching them with an inscrutable expression. "You catch on quick, Vincent."

Vincent only shrugged his scarlet-clad shoulders. "You said that the parasites were intelligent. Perhaps, they have fused them with the creatures you speak of, as well as your zombies."

"Boy, aren't you just a ray of fucking sunshine," Billy said, his habitual scowl firmly in place.

"He's just saying what we're all thinking, Billy." Leon sighed and backed out of the room. "Let's just hope we're wrong about this. If we're not, we're gonna have one hellova hard time getting to Chris and the others."

"I hope they're all right," Rebecca said in a low voice, her concern for her former comrades obvious.

Vincent watched Billy put his arms around his wife in a gesture of comfort and sighed soundlessly. They reminded him of Cloud and Tifa, and the interaction he'd witnessed between them in the last few months. Once they had married, the walls Cloud had always used to protect himself had come tumbling down. He had begun to show his affection more openly, despite the ribbing his received from their friends. Cloud was whole now, in a way that he himself would never be. Part of Vincent envied him that, while the rest of him was pleased to see his friend so happy. If anyone deserved such happiness, it was Cloud Strife.

He thought briefly of Cloud's attempt to trigger Reunion, a frown pulling his sable brows together as he strove to understand _why._ Cloud had no delusions of grandeur, no desire to join with Jenova and destroy The Planet. Unlike Sephiroth and Kadaj, he was already whole. He didn't need 'Mother' to make him complete. So, why had he sent out the call, unless. . .

Vincent swore beneath his breath, suddenly terrified for the others, as comprehension dawned. Cloud hadn't been trying to initiate Reunion. He had been attempting to _draw_ Genesis to him_._ Probably hoping to reopen that cursed portal, he thought angrily. He knew that his friends cared for him, and that they would grieve for his loss, but he'd thought that they would be forced accept it and move on.

He should have known better, Vincent told himself ruefully. Cloud wasn't one to let himself be defeated by _anything._ Since his brush with Geostigma, he had shed the mantle of guilt that had all but crushed him. He had chosen to rejoin the world of the living, rejecting the ghosts which had haunted him, and he had re-embraced life with passionate fervor.

Which meant that he had also ferreted out the secret that Vincent had spent so long trying to hide. Vincent winced at the thought. The last thing he'd wanted was for his friends to discover just _how_ different he truly was. While he didn't remember enough of his time in the healing tank to know for certain, his reactions to both Genesis and Sephiroth--as well as Cloud--had told him more than he'd ever wanted to know about himself. As repugnant a thought as it was, he could no longer hide from the knowledge that he himself carried a piece of Jenova within him.

He remembered Hojo's words about having him to thank for his indestructible body and clenched his fists as he fought a wave of pure hatred. He had discovered during that battle that Lucrecia hadn't been completely to blame for what had been done with him. Yes, she had merged him with Chaos, but she hadn't the one responsible for body he now possessed. It had been Hojo who had taken over the experiment once Lucrecia had gone, infusing him with Jenova cells just to see what would happen.

Idle curiosity, Vincent thought contempt. It had been nothing more than idle curiosity that had driven the crazed scientist. And _he_ had been the one to pay the price.

"Vincent?"

He looked up to find his new allies watching him with concern--and a small bit of fear. "I'm fine," he said shortly.

"You don't look 'fine'," Billy bit off sarcastically. "You look pissed."

"My memories are rarely pleasant." Vincent turned away so quickly that his cloak flared out before setting around him once more. "Are we done here?"

"Yeah, we're done." Leon shot a warning glance at Billy, silently urging him to back off. After what Vincent had already told them about his past, he could understand why the other man found his memories 'unpleasant'. "How many weapons do you have on you, Vincent?"

"Four." Vincent winced and quickly corrected himself. "Three that I can use, that is. Why?"

"What's wrong with lucky number four?" Billy asked with obvious suspicion. "Is it a magic gun, or what?"

"I have materia attached to nearly all of my weapons, so I suppose that you could call them magical."

Billy scowled at the obvious evasion. "That doesn't tell me why you can't use one of your guns, Vincent."

Vincent sighed heavily, his hand dropping to the ornate weapon on his hip. "I have the Cerberus, which is an ordinary handgun. The Hydra is a rifle, which is fitted with a scope for long-distance shooting. It is more powerful, but not ideal for close-range combat."

"The gun you saved Billy's life with," Rebecca inserted quietly.

"Yes," Vincent said with a fleeting smile. "The Griffin is a machine gun. It's not the most powerful gun I possess, but it cuts through the opposition rather quickly, as you have already seen."

"And?"

The smile died as he glanced at the caustic, muscle-bound man who reminded him so strongly of Barret Wallace. "The Death Penalty is my strongest weapon," he answered with obvious reluctance. "It holds no magic, but it can kill nearly anything in one shot."

"Then, why the hell aren't you using it?" Billy asked with disbelief.

Deep red eyes met and held his, shimmering with unnatural light. "Because I can only wield it as Chaos."

"Oh." Billy shrugged, his embarrassment obvious, as he wished that he hadn't been quite so suspicious of the other man. "Sorry, man."

The red-cloaked man only shrugged, and Leon cast his friend a dark look. "Are you done, Coen?" he asked with the first signs of anger.

Billy nodded slowly as he looked away. "Yeah, I'm done."

"Good." Leon grasped the attaché cases strapped to his back and opened it. He set the Blacktail inside, trading it for a silver revolver decorated with intricate scroll-work. "It's not as fancy as yours, Vincent, but it packs one hellova punch."

"Ah." Vincent nodded with understanding. "You asked me about my weapons because you worried that my Cerberus might not be enough for what lies ahead."

"Hunters can take a _lot_ of damage, Vincent." Leon loaded the Broken Butterfly and put the case away. "They've also got massive claws, so you want something strong enough to stop them _before_ they get to you."

Vincent lifted his left hand, his gold-armored claw forming a loose fist. "I think I can handle anything that comes my way," he said with just a touch of arrogance.

Billy gave a shout of laughter, quickly smothered as his wife frowned at him. "Sorry, Vince, but that was just a little egotistical, don't you think?"

He winced at hearing his name shortened--again. "I am a warrior," he said, irritation lacing his words, "as are all of you. I fight because it is necessary, but I take no pleasure from it. Were I not a skilled fighter, I would be dead many times over. That is not ego, Billy. That is fact."

"Yeah, yeah," Billy muttered dismissively. "So, you're good. Big deal. So are we."

"But we can't take on B.O.W.s without weapons," Rebecca pointed out.

"We don't know that he can, either," came the surly response. "We haven't seen him fight without that fancy-looking goth-gun, honey. He might be just as helpless without it as we are."

She snorted at that. "After seeing his acrobatic show upstairs, I think it's safe to assume that he's good enough to keep himself alive, Billy."

Leon chuckled. "Billy's just pissed because Vincent's more badass than he is. He'll get over it, Becca."

Billy flipped him the bird, his midnight blue eyes glinting, and Leon only laughed again. "Come on, guys. S.T.A.R.S. is waiting for us."

"Oh, joy," Billy grumbled sourly. "I can't wait."

Leon sent him a sympathetic look as he brought the Broken Butterfly up before him and started forward. He hated that Chris couldn't fully accept Billy, but there was nothing he could do to change it. Billy had tried to fit in with S.T.A.R.S. for Rebecca's sake, but and Chris had clashed so often that his leaving had been inevitable. And when he'd gone, Rebecca had chosen to go with him.

The older man felt that Billy had taken Rebecca away from them, and though none of them would ever admit it, he knew that the rest of S.T.A.R.S. felt the same. Rebecca had been the youngest member of S.T.A.R.S., and the others had been very protective of her. They hadn't approved of Billy with his checkered past and churlish disposition, and they hadn't bothered to hide it. Eventually, that disapproval had driven him away, and girl they'd tried to protect along with him.

Luckily, that break had worked out well for _him,_ Leon thought with a brief grin. Billy was a stubborn, foul-mouthed pain in the ass, but he was a good man underneath it all. They had become quick friends, and when he'd finally found the courage to walk away from The Program, Billy and Rebecca had chosen to help him continue the fight on his own. He didn't know what he would do without them, and he didn't want to find out. They were the only family he had left.

He glanced over his shoulder, catching Vincent's eye and waving him forward. "Tell me about your world," he invited. "What's it like to live in a world full of magic?"

Vincent hesitated, casting a quick glance at Billy, before taking the other man's place at his side. "It is much the same as your world, I would imagine," he answered, grateful that the other man didn't seem to mind the change in positions. "We have many towns and cities, Midgar being the largest among them."

"Is that where you're from?" Leon scanned their surroundings as he spoke, noting that Vincent's fire-imbued gaze did the same.

"No, I was born in a small town called Kalm." Vincent drew the Cerberus as he watched the other man take a position to the left of a door marked "Storage". He sidled up to the wall on the opposite side, nodding once to show that he was prepared.

Leon returned the gesture and opened the door, the Blacktail sweeping the room as he went low. Vincent stepped up behind him, covering him with the three-barreled handgun. There was a faint breath of movement up and to the left, one of the boxes on the top shelf shifting slightly, and neither thought twice about pulling the trigger.

The box tumbled to the ground, its contents spilling onto the floor. Among the many bottles of first aid sprays lay a large rat, the light in its beady eyes dying even as they watched. A low laugh sounded behind them, and Vincent found himself fighting the urge to join in the laughter, even though it would be partly at his expense.

"You just unloaded your .45 into a _rat_, Leon. What happened to all of that fancy government training?" Billy queried tauntingly.

Leon grinned even as he said, "Bite me, Coen."

"Umm. . .no." Billy switched his midnight gaze to Vincent, whose crimson eyes were gleaming brilliantly. "What about you, warrior-man? You got anything to say about this?"

"In our defense, it _was _a rather large rat," Vincent answered, his mild tone laced with humor.

"Holy shit!" Billy exclaimed with mock astonishment. "Did you just make a _joke_, Vince?"

Rebecca smothered her own laughter and whacked her husband on the arm with her free hand. "Leave them alone, Billy. They didn't know it was rat."

He snorted at that. "Please, how many B.O.W.s fit into a cardboard box, sweetheart?"

"Okay, I'll give you that one," she said grudgingly. "But one is all you get, Lieutenant Coen."

Billy slid an arm around her waist and pulled her to him. "One is all I need, Officer Chambers."

Leon rolled his eyes at the kissing couple and he knelt before the ruined box. He shook his tawny head as he grabbed one of the bottles and casually tossed it over his shoulder. "Take this, Vincent. It will help if you get hurt."

Vincent snatched the bottle out of the air and studied it for a moment. "Thank you," he said, tucking it into his supply pack.

"You're welcome." Leon divided the remaining bottles between the two of them, giving Billy and Rebecca a moment of privacy. This was the first time he'd ever found a large cache of healing supplies in an Umbrella facility, and he was both surprised and relieved to have found it. He had a feeling they'd be needing them all before this mission was over.

He rose to his feet, grinning as he watched his closest friend kiss his wife senseless. "Well, Vincent, as soon as Billy comes up for air, we'll continue on our way."

The man in question flipped him off without ever raising his head, and Leon laughed again as he turned to the newest edition to their unit. "So, what's this Kalm like?" he asked conversationally.

Vincent smiled faintly. "Kalm is a small, sleepy little town on the Central Continent. There's not much to it, really. Most of the men there worked in the Mythril Mines to the south, or went to the big city to find work."

"Is that what you did?"

"Yes," Vincent answered with a shrug. "My father was a scientist for Shinra, and I found the thought of working in the mines less than appealing. After his death, I packed my belongings and traveled to Midgar. I applied with Shinra, and was accepted into The Turks."

Leon nodded encouragingly. "And what exactly is a Turk?"

Vincent hesitated as he thought of the reputation The Turks had gained over the last thirty-three years. "They began as a protection unit," he answered at length. "We were bodyguards for those Shrinra deemed important. I was trained and assigned to the Shinra Mansion in Nibelheim, to protect Lucrecia Crescent. The rest, you know."

"You said they began as a protection team," Leon said quietly. "I take it they turned into something else?"

"As Shinra grew in power, they took a hand in the politics of The Planet. Kidnapping, murder, warfare. . ." Vincent shrugged eloquently. "The Turks did whatever was required of them, and still do today, though Shinra's hold over The Planet was all but destroyed after Meteorfall."

"What's Meteorfall?"

He turned to find Billy and Rebecca watching him with unconcealed interest. "Sephiroth," he explained, uncomfortable at being the center of attention. "After gaining the Black Materia, Sephiroth cast the ultimate magic spell: Meteor. Shinra was unable to stop it, and the task fell to us."

Rebecca's pale green eyes widened slightly. "You stopped a _meteor_?" she questioned incredulously.

"We had help." Vincent lifted the left side of his cloak, revealing the thin pink ribbon that was tied just above his golden gauntlet. "Before Sephiroth murdered her, Aeris Gainsborough had prayed for Holy. It was the only magic strong enough to prevent The Planet's destruction. Shortly after we defeated Sephiroth, Holy emerged. The Lifestream rose up to defend The Planet, the energy of those who had returned to it giving it the power to destroy the meteor. Hence, Meteorfall."

She blinked as she tried to picture it. "You literally saved the world, didn't you?" she asked with wonder.

"Yes, we did."

It was said so simply, without arrogance or conceit, that Billy whistled in appreciation. "Hell, no wonder you have a hero-complex, Vince. You _are_ one."

He only shook his head negatively, his sable hair a stark contrast to the deep red cloak it slithered over. "There were eight of us, Billy. Nine, if you count _her_," he added with uncharacteristic reverence. "None of us could have done it alone, except perhaps, Cloud."

Leon's features took on a thoughtful cast. "He's the remnant who killed Sephiroth, right?"

"He dealt the killing blow," Vincent stated solemnly, and then surprised them all by smiling openly. "Cloud is more than a mere remnant. He was the only clone strong enough to fight the call for Reunion. Even when Sephiroth took control of his mind and tried to destroy it, he fought back. He is strongest man I have ever known. It was only fitting that he be the one to defeat The Nightmare. None of us begrudged him that, not even Barret," he finished dryly.

The affection behind his words spoke volumes about his feelings for his friends. "You miss your friends," Rebecca said softly.

"Very much." Vincent sighed and looked away, guilt flowing through him as he thought of all he had kept hidden. He glanced back at his newfound allies, who were watching him so trustingly, and knew that he couldn't lie to them. Having him in their party was a risk, and they deserved to know the truth.

He lifted his head and met Leon's gaze squarely. "You asked earlier if I could control Chaos."

Bright blue eyes sharpened on his own. "Yes," the other man responded simply.

"Normally, I have excellent self-control, but. . ." Vincent's voice trailed off as he sought the words to explain. "I am like Cloud," he said finally, his near-perfect features solemn. "I can feel the call for Reunion, though I cannot respond to it. Chaos, however, can."

Comprehension dawned as Leon uttered a sound curse. "So, that's why you lost control earlier?"

"Yes."

"Wait a minute," Billy inserted with a frown. "Does that mean that Sephiroth guy is alive again, or--"

"No," Vincent cut in flatly. "It was Cloud who sent out the call for Reunion. He was probably hoping to trick Genesis into reopening the portal between our worlds. He had no way of knowing that I might share Jenova's mometic legacy. I wasn't sure myself until--"

He broke off, crossing his arms over his chest in an unconsciously self-protective gesture. "Chaos is tainted, as was the life force used to create it. It sees that part of myself as a threat, and rises to defend itself from it."

"What about Genesis?" Leon asked abruptly. "If he was part of the Jenova Project, then he's got the ability to send out the call too, right?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"_Shit."_

"Indeed," Vincent murmured with a touch of dark humor. "Before he pulled me into the portal, Genesis nearly succeeded in drawing Chaos from me. The transformation causes me pain when I fight it, and he didn't realize that. I truly don't think he meant to harm me. He believes that Chaos and I are the same being. He doesn't understand that, while I harbor the entity inside of me, I am still _me._ While Chaos and I have learned to work together, it is still a separate entity. It allows me to control it because it needs me to survive. If that ever changes. . ."

Rebecca studied him closely. "That's why you were so worried before. You were afraid that if we killed you, it would turn on us, and infect one of us."

"It would have," he stated flatly. "Chaos needs a host to survive, and thanks to Hojo, my body is nearly indestructible. I am the perfect host for it, but should that ever change, it _will_ find another."

"Then, keeping you alive is even more important than before," Leon said firmly. Vincent opened his mouth to protest, and he cut him off. "You can control it, Vincent. I don't think that any of us could. I know that _I_ wouldn't want to try."

"Me neither," Billy said with a quick shake of his head. "It's all you, Vince, and it stays that way."

"Agreed," Vincent said instantly. "Chaos feeds off of the dark emotions we all keep locked in within our hearts. Hate, anger, pain, guilt. . .it consumes them all. I would prefer it if none of you ever experience _that."_

"We all have dark sides, Vincent." Rebecca sent him a sweetly tired smile. "You don't survive what we have unscathed. We have all been affected by what Umbrella has done. We just deal with it differently."

"Ain't that the truth," her husband rumbled at her side.

As grave as the situation was, Leon found himself fighting a smile. Vincent might seem cold and unfeeling, but his worry for _them_ told a different story. While he was concerned by the knowledge that G could force him to transform into Chaos, he believed that Vincent could control it. He'd already done it once, even if it had drained him. So long as they kept Vincent alive, Chaos wouldn't need to go hunting for another host, and Wesker wouldn't be able to use it against them.

And they would keep him alive, Leon swore to himself. This would _not_ be a repeat of Spain. He hadn't been able to keep Saddler from killing Luis Sera, but he could keep Vincent Valentine safe. He wouldn't fail, again.

He reloaded the Broken Butterfly with a quick series of movements. "So, are you guys ready to go?" he asked as casually as he could.

Billy nodded as he brought up his Desert Eagle. "Lead the way, kid."

Rebecca imitated the gesture as she popped a fresh magazine into her Beretta. "We're with you, Leon."

He glanced at Vincent, who was watching them with wary crimson eyes. "What about you, Vincent?"

Vincent gazed at them broodingly. "Are you sure?" he asked finally. "Keeping me in the party is a risk."

Leon flashed him a crooked smile. "I'm sure."

"Then, I am ready." Vincent reloaded the Cerberus and snapped the gun closed. "Lead, Leon. I will follow."

"Then, let's find S.T.A.R.S. and get this party started."


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, who are the property of Capcom and Square-Enix, respectively.

Synopsis: If you've played Dirge Of Cerberus, and you got the secret ending, you'll have an idea of what I'm planning. If not, you'll figure it out soon enough.

Author's Note: Um. . .Sweepers (shudders). Beta'd by Littlehouseinthewoods:)

* * *

Chapter Six

Cloud listened with a deepening sense of dread as their newfound allies explained the plague which had once swept through a small mid-western town called Raccoon City. It had started in an Umbrella-owned mansion on the outskirts of the town, and slowly made its way towards the city itself. He could only shake his head at the horror of it all as they told him tales of the dead rising to hunt the living, spreading the disease with each that fell beneath their onslaught. The Hunter that they had fought had been one of the early experiments. Deadly in its own way, certainly unique, but nothing compared to the mutations that had infested their dying hometown ten years ago.

"Nemesis was the worst," Jill was saying, and the bronze-skinned man beside her shuddered as he nodded in emphatic agreement. "It was one of the fastest B.O.W.s I've ever encountered, and it was nearly indestructible. I can't tell you how many times I fought it, thinking that I had finally killed it, only to have it blindside me later. In the end, I had to use a large laser to finish it off."

"I hated Nemesis," Carlos declared with disgust, his M-16 held at the ready as they crept down the corridor. "That _hombre_ batted me around like an annoying fly, no matter how many bullets I pumped into him."

"I hated listening to it chant S.T.A.R.S. over and over as it killed everything in its path in an attempt to get to _me,"_ she all but spat.

"For me, the zombies were the worst," Claire inserted in a quiet voice, determined to distract her friend from the memory of her worst nightmare. "Those poor people had died such horrible deaths, only to be reanimated as soulless monsters. I hated having to kill them, knowing that they'd been victims themselves."

"Gawd, how horrible," Tifa murmured sadly, thinking of Sephiroth's destruction of Nibelheim. At least, none of her murdered neighbors had come back to life and tried to devour her!

Cloud merely took her free hand in his own, his own expression eloquent as he too remembered the horror of watching his own hometown burn to the ground. "Don't think about it," he murmured softly, his bright blue gaze meeting and holding hers. "Don't give the past any more power over you than it already has."

She attempted a smile and stepped closer to him, the shotgun in her right hand looking out of place. At least, she was armed. She could defend herself now, Cloud comforted himself. She might not be a good shot, but with a shotgun, she didn't need to be. He and the others would finish off any who survived the initial blasts, and his wife _would_ be safe.

Chris sighed heavily as his own past rose up before him. "Forrest," he stated simply, and both Jill and Barry echoed his sigh.

"It was hard, seeing him like that," Barry said with remembered sorrow. "Forrest was a good man. He didn't deserve to die that way."

"No, he didn't," Jill muttered poignantly.

Cid traded glances with Barrett and Yuffie, who both shrugged silently. "Fine, I'll ask then," he snapped with annoyance. "Who is Forrest, and how did he die?"

"He was a member of Bravo Team, who had entered the Spenser mansion before us," Chris explained awkwardly. "He'd been injured by the zombies that had overrun the mansion, and he retreated to the second floor balcony to escape them."

Jill shuddered at the way Forrest's body had looked as it had slumped in that fancy chair. "He ended up trapped on the balcony, attacked by a flock of infected crows. He never stood a chance. His body had been picked nearly clean."

"Unfortunately, that didn't stop him from coming after me." Chris shuddered as the memory ripped through him. "He was so damned fast, and he'd mutated enough for his hands to turn into claws. He nearly took my head off before I recovered enough to defend myself."

"He became one of the Crimson Heads you spoke of?" Nanaki inquired quietly.

Chris only nodded, his dark blue eyes full of remembered horror. "Forrest was one of my oldest friends. Jill's, too. I was the one who recruited him for S.T.A.R.S., the one who talked him into leaving the Army. It was _my_ fault he died in the Arklay Mountains."

"No, it wasn't," Jill protested quickly. "You didn't know what Wesker had planned for S.T.A.R.S.. None of us did."

"Jill--"

"She's right, Chris. You can't blame yourself." Barry ran a hand over the barrel of his Colt Anaconda as he spoke. "If you're to blame for recruiting for Forrest, then _I'm_ to blame for recruiting the two of _you_."

The other man fell silent, and Barry pressed the point home. "We've all got a little survivor's guilt, Chris. Especially me. If I hadn't let Wesker's threats against Kathy and the girls get to me, Enrico might still be alive. Not a day goes by that I don't think of him and wish that I'd done things differently. But I can't change the past, and neither can you. It's done. All we can do is keep fighting, and hope each time that--finally--Wesker will pay for all he's done."

Chris looked away. "It's not enough, Barry."

"It's all we've got," the older man said simply.

"Listen to him, Chris." Jill stopped and put a hand on his arm, her blue-gray eyes locking on his face until he was forced to look at her. "I don't blame you for anything that's happened, and neither would Forrest. He wanted to join S.T.A.R.S., just like I did. That we would work with _you_ was just a bonus. Stop blaming yourself for things you can't change, and concentrate on what's important."

A reluctant smile shaped his lips. "Like killing Wesker?" he asked with a touch of wryness.

"Yes," she responded instantly.

The smile widened as he wound his arms around her and pulled her close. "Thank you," he told her with gratitude. His midnight gaze shot to Barry. "You, too."

"Don't mention it, Chris."

Cloud listened to the exchange with a heavy heart. He knew what it was like to lose a friend, how the guilt could eat at your soul until there was nothing left. He had spent two years blaming himself for Aeris' death, pushing everyone around him away in an attempt to protect himself from further pain. All he had wanted was one more chance to see her, to speak with her long enough to beg her forgiveness. In the end, it hadn't been _her_ forgiveness that he'd sought at all, but his own.

Tifa watched the play of emotions on her husband's expressive features and knew that he was thinking of _her._ While he had never so much as hinted at it, she was sure that Cloud had loved Aeris Gainsborough. While the knowledge had once broken her heart, she thought that she understood. Aeris had been as generous as she was beautiful, outspoken and quirky and completely smitten with Cloud Strife. None of them had ever met another quite like her, and she had touched all of their lives. Her murder at the hands of Sephiroth had been a blow, one which Cloud nearly hadn't recovered from.

Surprisingly, it had been Vincent who had finally reached him. She didn't know just what the other man had said to him, but Cloud had apparently taken his words to heart. He had begun answering his phone again, and had even had her close the bar so that he could spend the day with her, Marlene, and Denzel. They had had a lovely picnic on the coast just north of Midgar, and Cloud had finally begun to reach out to her. A little less than a year later, he had asked her to marry him, and she had never been happier.

As she watched Chris Redfield interact with his second-in-command, she thought that he could use a good talking to, as well. "We lost a friend once," she announced into the quiet. She felt Cloud's gaze on her but ignored him, focusing her attention on their new allies. "She left us and tried to stop Sephiroth on her own. We went after her, but we were too late. Sephiroth appeared out of nowhere and. . ."

She cleared her throat and began again. "We know what it's like to lose someone you care for. It hurts, and the pain never really leaves you, but you have to move on. You have to learn to let go of the anger--and the fear. You can't let the guilt overcome you, or you'll never win."

Chris studied the lovely young woman with the soul-deep brown eyes closely. "Thank you," he said at length, glancing down at the woman he had yet to release. Jill merely gazed up at him, her classic features soft, and he fought the urge to kiss her senseless. He had insisted they keep their relationship private, not wanting to expose himself to their friends' scrutiny. Jill hadn't agreed, but she had gone along with it. Maybe, it was time to change that.

"I've been an ass," he said in a low, emotion-filled voice. "I'm sorry, Jill."

She merely shook her head and took a step back, all too aware of the people around them. "Don't ever apologize to me, Chris. Stop being an ass, and we'll call it even."

Cid crackled at that, his faded blue eyes glinting with mirth. "You tell him, girl."

Carlos' Mediterranean features brightened as he grinned. "You owe me twenty, Claire."

"Shut up, Carlos." Claire scowled at her brother. "You couldn't have hidden this thing just a little while longer?"

Jill frowned at her lover's baby sister. "You've been betting on our love life?"

"Yep." The scowl disappeared, replaced by a smug smile. "It's worth losing twenty bucks, too. It's about damned time you guys quit hiding this."

"Oh, God." Chris dropped his head into his hand, embarrassment singeing his cheeks. "I'm going to kill you, Claire."

Barry snorted at that. Chris would never do anything to hurt his only living relative and they all knew it. "Well, you'll have to kill me too, Chris, because they both owe me forty. I was betting this month," he added.

"_Et tu, _Barry?"

The older man only smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "You've made me temporarily wealthy, Chris. Thank you."

Cloud smiled faintly as he watched them tease Chris. He had been the same, not so long ago. He had spent most of life loving Tifa, but had been too afraid of rejection to tell her. Even three years ago, on the eve of that final battle with Sephiroth, he had been afraid to voice his feelings. They had spent a beautiful night together under the stars, both knowing that they might die the next day, and still he had been unable to tell her of his love.

If it hadn't been for Vincent's words last year in the Forgotten Capital, he might never have found the courage. He owed the other man more than he would ever know, and he was determined to somehow find a way to repay him. Maybe, he thought with a sly glance to his right, he could start with Yuffie.

"I know that look," Tifa murmured at his side. "Just what are planning, Cloud?"

He smiled and brought her left hand to his lips. "Have you ever noticed how protective Vincent is of Yuffie?"

"Of course, I have," she said simply. "I'm just surprised that you did."

Barret overheard them and snorted. "Only a dead man could miss the way they look at each other, Spiky. Last time I checked, you weren't dead. Explains why Vincent's never noticed, though," he added with a grin.

Cid shook his blond head at the bad joke, even as it made him laugh. "Gawd, that girl would be hell on old Vince, too. Of course, he's the probably the only man in existence who has the patience to put up with her."

Reeve frowned as he caught that last remark. "I hope you all aren't seriously considering--" Yuffie drew closer and he snapped his mouth shut. The last thing he wanted was to encourage his friends in _this._

"What are we talking about?" she asked curiously.

"Nothing," he snapped flatly, hoping the others would take the hint.

Cloud frowned at the disapproval Reeve wasn't even attempting to hide. "We were just wondering when we'd run into Vincent's party," he told her, which was close enough to the truth for him.

"Yeah," Yuffie sighed, "I've been wondering the same thing, too. You really think he's doing alright without us?"

"I'm sure he is," Nanaki inserted in his quiet, non-obtrusive way. "Vincent is a warrior, after all."

"True." She sighed again and glanced around the large, sterile corridor. "I don't know about any of you, but I'm ready to move on. Tifa's armed now, Barret's got plenty of bullets, and we've got help." She gestured briefly towards S.T.A.R.S. "I just want to find Vincent and go home. So, can we start walking, again?"

She looked to Cloud for permission, smiling broadly at his swift nod. "Good, because Vincent might not know it, but he _does_ need us."

Cloud didn't comment, merely swung his gaze to Chris. "What about you?"

Chris colored slightly even as he nodded. "Sorry," he muttered grimly.

"Don't be." Cloud lifted the Buster Sword and smiled recklessly as he started forward. "Tifa, stay close to me. Yuffie, Cid, watch our backs. Barret, you and Nanaki guard Reeve."

Barret took a position next to the other man even as he mumbled, "Why do I have to be the damn babysitter?" under his breath.

Carlos laughed at that, until Chris said, "Carlos, go with them. You and Claire."

He scowled as Claire grinned at him. "You suck, Chris."

Claire chuckled at that. "You'll live, Olivera."

Chris waited until they'd taken their place to glance at Cloud. "Can I see that map, again?"

Cloud nodded and pulled it out of his supply pack. "Which way did you want to go?" he asked.

Chris hesitated as he studied two possible routes. Both ended in the same place, which was a large circular room with a door on either side, and a larger one at the east end. Both paths held labs and offices, but he didn't know which way Leon would be coming from. For all he knew, Leon was following the trail of dead bioweapons they'd left in their wake. With their communications out, he couldn't contact him and ask either. But sitting in one place wouldn't get them anywhere, and there was a lot of ground to cover between here and there--whatever 'there' was.

"I don't think it matters," he answered at length. "We'll either run into Leon up ahead, or he'll catch up to us. Either way, I think we should keep moving."

"We could split up," Jill suggested quietly. "One team goes left, one goes right, and we meet at the end."

"No!" Chris said sharply. "We stay together, Jill." He glanced down at the map and said, "We'll take the left route, then backtrack and clear the other. Is that acceptable?"

Jill gazed at him for a long moment before nodding her assent. She wasn't going to argue with him over this. Her fear of loss was just as strong as his, and for the same reasons. It might take them a little longer, but they'd get the job done, all the same.

"I agree," Cloud said into the silence which followed. "We might be a large group now, but there's always a chance that we'll be overwhelmed, like we were before."

Barret snorted at that. "We were doing just fine without them, Cloud."

"That's a matter of opinion," Reeve muttered at his side.

Claire slanted a sidelong glance at the tall, robed man she was expected to protect. "Is he always this negative?" she asked no one in particular.

"Not normally," Nanaki answered from his place beside just behind her. "Reeve is merely worried about Vincent, as we all are."

"Vince'll be fine," Cid said shortly. "He'll be even better if we can get to him in one damn piece. So, quit the bitchin' and let's get on with it already."

Claire tossed her head, the effect ruined somewhat by her auburn ponytail. "Cranky much?"

"Claire!"

She saw her brother glaring at her from his position at the front and was immediately contrite. "Sorry, Chris."

He only shook his head and turned away, leaving her to roll her eyes unseen. Carlos smirked at her as he leaned down to whisper in her ear. Her cerulean eyes flared at his words, and she grinned wickedly in return. Someday, he was going to get caught saying outrageous things like that, she thought with a silent laugh, but hopefully not today. The last thing they needed was Chris going into overprotective big brother mode right now.

Of course, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Claire knew that she wouldn't be able to hide her relationship with Carlos forever. Eventually, it would either end, or they'd have to come clean. With the amount of time Carlos was forced to spend on thinking up ingenious ways to get her alone, she thought that she'd be able to keep his attention for a _long_ time to come.

She glanced at her brother to make sure he wasn't looking before leaning towards Carlos. "You're ass is mine when we get home," she murmured provocatively.

His deep brown eyes flashed as he fought not to reach for her, and she uttered a low laugh. "Chin up, Olivera," she said in a more normal tone. "We'll be home soon enough."

Carlos gripped his M-16 tighter and quickly took a step away from her. If Chris even _thought_ that he was making a move on his baby sister, he'd kill him, and Carlos wasn't ready to die quite yet. Claire, on the other hand, loved making him sweat, and not always in a good way!

He'd considered going to his captain and coming clean with him, but he remembered what had happened with Coen and Rebecca all too well. Chris had forced the other man into a fight, and Coen had been dismissed from S.T.A.R.S. as a result. He didn't want that to happen to _him._ S.T.A.R.S. was the only home he had.

And he was pretty sure Claire wouldn't go with him if he left, he thought glumly. He might be serious about her, but that didn't mean she felt the same. She was still grieving for the guy she'd lost on Rock Fort Island ten years ago. She didn't talk about Steve Burnside much anymore, but what little she had said told him that she still loved the guy.

Which was probably for the best, Carlos told himself sternly. This was the first time he'd ever even _tried_ to have a monogamous relationship with a woman. He'd done okay so far, but he had no idea how long he'd be able to keep it up. Faithfulness wasn't his forte, after all.

Not to mention the fact that they worked an extremely dangerous job. Every time they went into the field, they ran the risk of being killed--or worse. Getting involved with Claire Redfield might not have been the smartest thing he'd ever done, but for now, they were enjoying themselves. When that finally changed--and he knew that eventually it would--he didn't want Chris beating the shit out of him for hurting his baby sister.

No, he'd keep his mouth shut, just like Claire wanted, and he'd live a little longer. Supposing they didn't all die here today, that was.

* * *

Vincent paused as a pig-like squeal echoed through the dimly lit corridor, accompanied by the patter of uneven footsteps. He glanced behind him, where the sound had originated, but saw nothing. He wondered if it could be one of the Hunters that Leon had been worried about, and glanced at the man in question. Leon's youthful features had hardened dramatically, answering his unspoken question. He brought the Cerberus up before him even as he flexed his armored hand, prepared for the battle that lay ahead.

What he wasn't prepared for was the deep, canine-like growl that sounded ahead of them. Billy cursed and pulled out a second weapon, a small handgun similar to his wife's. "Cerberus'," he muttered, both guns held out before him.

"God, I hate the zombie dogs," Rebecca said as they shifted to cover the front. "We've got them, Leon. You and Vincent will have to take care of the Hunters until we're done."

"We're on it." Leon nodded curtly, his crystal blue gaze narrowed as he gestured for Vincent to join him. "They're fast, and their lethal," he said shortly. "Remember that."

"I will," Vincent assured him, his voice quiet as he took a position to his right. There were more growls, behind them this time, even as a large shape jumped into view at the end of the corridor.

The purple-skinned creature was at least five feet tall, a massive mix of bulging muscle and scaly skin. Its flat reptilian eyes locked onto them with predatory intent, its oversized claws clenching and unclenching as it began to stalk them. Another appeared behind it, then another, and yet another beyond that, and Leon cursed soundly at his side.

"Sweepers!" he hissed angrily, flinching slightly as the first shots were fired behind them. "Watch the claws, Vincent. These Hunters can poison you with the slightest touch."

Vincent's eyes widened slightly at that. While he was immune to a great many things, simple poison wasn't one of them. He opened his mouth to warn the other man, and then snapped it closed as the closest monster suddenly leapt towards him. He did a quick double-jump into the air, emptying the Cerberus into the muscle-bound creature. The Sweeper was knocked to the ground under the impact. It screeched in apparent protest even as it vaulted back to its feet.

It came towards with an astonishing speed, leaving him no time to reload. It swung one enormous claw at him, and he ducked with lightening speed. He brought his left hand up and slashed at the creature's face, cursing as it read his intent and jerked away. His armored claws only lightly grazed the Sweeper's chest, unable able to penetrate its tough leathery hide.

The Sweeper lunged for him again, and he brought his left arm up to protect his face. He grunted in pain as his golden gauntlet was sliced clean through. Even as he swung his right hand towards the beast's head, knocking it away from him, he could feel the burning sensation of the bioweapon's poison entering his system. Unfortunately, he had overestimated his own fighting ability, and he was going to pay a steep price for his arrogance. Especially since the other three monsters were already drawing closer.

Leon cast him a quick glance as he reloaded his own weapon, relieved to see that the enhanced Hunter hadn't drawn blood. "Be careful, Vincent."

Vincent didn't answer as he hastily shoved fresh bullets into his gun. He snapped the Cerberus closed as quickly as he could, hoping to do as much damage as possible before the poison overwhelmed rapidly tiring body. The trio of wounds on his arm had already closed, but it was too late. He had been poisoned, and he had no Poisona or antidotes handy. The odds were good that he was going to die.

Knowing that his condition would deteriorate all too quickly, he launched himself forward, blasting the creature back into its brethren. It stumbled backwards, knocking the others to the floor, buying himself and Leon a few precious moments to reload. He fired bullets into the head of the other three, hoping to keep them down just a little while longer, so that he could deal with the one who had wounded him.

Sure enough, the Sweeper was back on its feet and rushing towards him, ignoring Leon as it sought to kill the one who had injured it. Vincent holstered the Cerberus and leapt into the air, twisting his body so that he landed squarely on the monster's back. He grabbed the creature's massive head between his armored hands and gave it a sharp twist. A loud snap sounded as the Sweeper's skull was separated from its spinal column. It fell to the ground, violent spasms seizing control of its muscles, before finally going still.

Vincent rolled off of it, his strength all but gone. He found himself flat on his back, the world above him blurring in and out of focus. He had only one chance, not to save himself, but to keep the other Sweepers from killing his newfound friends. He drew on the tainted lifeforce within him, calling not to Chaos, but to Hell.

He felt the change come over him, and this time he welcomed it. He would be rejuvenated for a short while, hopefully long enough to help Leon kill the three remaining monsters. Hellmasker wasn't his most powerful form, but the transformation would reverse itself once his energy was depleted. Unlike Chaos, it was more a part of _him_, and thus would not endanger his allies.

Or so he hoped, Vincent thought as he surrendered control of his will to the beast within.

Leon allowed himself a small grin as he saw Vincent break the poison Hunter's neck with an ease that would terrified him only a few hours ago. He turned his attention back to the three other bioweapons who had regained their feet, only peripherally aware of the other man as he rolled off of the dead monster. Damn, human or not, Vincent Valentine was good!

That's when he felt it. The spark in the air, the slight stirring as the atmospheric pressure around them began to shift. He shot each Sweeper once, downing them, and turned to look at what he was very much afraid would be his first--and last--glimpse of Chaos.

Instead, he was blinded by a flash of intense white light. He threw one arm up in an instinctively protective gesture, blinking rapidly to dispel the light's effects. As his sight returned, his nearly burst out laughing at the spectacle before him.

It was like something straight out an 80's horror movie, he thought with a shake of his head. Gone was the crimson cloak and the soft black leather. In their place was a muscle-bound man in a hockey mask, holding a _chainsaw_ of all things. Even as he watched, what he assumed was Vincent Valentine lifted the chainsaw and rushed forward, using the serrated blade to cut the two closest Sweepers into a gory pile of body parts. The masked man--if you could call him that--loped towards the last poison Hunter, only to have it jump past him. Vincent spun around, but not before it tackled Leon to the ground.

"Oh, no!" Rebecca gasped as she turned away from the last dead Cerberus. "Billy, Leon's in trouble!"

Billy whirled around, training his guns on the Sweeper, only to realize that he couldn't get a clear shot. He would be risking his best friend's life if he fired, now! His cobalt eyes widened dramatically as he saw the masked man with the chainsaw beyond the struggling duo, and both guns came up automatically. "What the fuck?!"

That masked head tilted to one side, as though studying him, and the stranger lowered the powerful machine in his hands. Even as Billy watched, the figure was engulfed in a halo of soft white light. He squinted as the light brightened, then was gone. He was astonished to see that in the stranger's place stood an unusually pale Vincent Valentine.

"Vincent?!"

Vincent ignored the pair of weapons locked on him and drew his own gun. He circled the Sweeper, who was beginning to gain ground as it struggled to decapitate Leon, on unsteady feet. The creature lifted one heavily-muscled arm, its claws seeming to glint in the faint light, its intent clear. Vincent took careful aim and fired repeatedly into the monster's skull, narrowing his eyes to keep his vision clear. Five bullets later, the Sweeper's head exploded, showering the wall with bits of brain and bone.

"Jesus!" Leon exclaimed, his voice shaky as he pushed the body off of him. He turned to Vincent, words of gratitude dying unspoken, as the other man simply keeled over. "Vincent!"

Leon scrambled to the fallen man, frowning darkly when he failed to find any wounds. "Billy, tell me you didn't shoot him!" he demanded angrily.

"Of course not," Billy scowled, his step hesitant as he approached. He glanced down at the unconscious man, shaking his head in disbelief. "Did you see what he turned into, Leon?"

"Yeah, and I'm willing to bet it wasn't Chaos." Leon observed the fine sheen of sweat on Vincent's too-pale face and sighed with relief. "I think that Sweeper poisoned him. Becca, do you have any blue herbs in your kit?"

"Yes, but I'm out of the red and green," Rebecca answered as she knelt beside him. "I can rid him of the B.O.W.'s toxin, but I won't be able to do much more than that."

"That's enough," Leon assured her as he reached out and propped the prone man up against the wall. He kept a hand on Vincent's arm to keep him upright as Rebecca began to grind a blue herb into the fine powder that would cure him. "We'll give him a first aid spray once he's conscious, again."

Billy ambled forward and dropped to his haunches, his midnight eyes narrowed as he watched the unconscious man for any sign of aggression. He was still shocked by the bizarre form Vincent had assumed, and he silently wondered how it was even possible. The black-winged creature he had glimpsed earlier, that he could see, but the wannabe serial killer look?

"Just how different _is_ his world?" he muttered, half to himself.

Leon glanced at him and shrugged eloquently, even as he found himself wondering the same thing. Suddenly, all of those fantasy books he'd loved in his youth weren't quite so appealing. If this was the price for being able to wield magic, he'd pass, thank you very much!

Vincent's eyes slowly fluttered opened, glittering red-gold flames that gleamed brilliantly through a veil of silky sable lashes. In their fiery depths was a look of confusion, which was echoed on his near-perfect features as he frowned at his surroundings. He focused on the girl kneeling before him, and his expression altered, the confusion replaced by a much softer emotion.

He reached out, one gauntleted hand covering hers, stilling her movements. "Yuffie," he murmured, a staggering wealth of emotion tingeing his deep, rich voice. "Have I ever told you how beautiful you are to me?"

Rebecca went still as his hand grasped hers in a gentle hold. She cast an uncertain glance at Leon, who shrugged his ignorance, then looked at husband questioningly. He nodded, silently encouraging her to play along, even as he pulled his survival knife from its sheath. She shivered and looked away, knowing that if he felt her to be threatened in any way, he would slit Vincent's throat without a second's pause.

She looked back at the strange man who had saved both her husband and his best friend, and attempted a smile. "Vincent, you've been poisoned," she told him gently. "If you let go of my hand, I can heal you."

His response was to tighten his hold. "Your materia won't work here," he responded, his voice slurring as he returned her smile. "Leave me and go back to Cloud and the others. Find your way home before it's too late."

Rebecca knew her shock showed as she asked, "But what about you?"

Vincent only shook his head as the world dimmed around him. "I am dying," he said, his voice wavering dangerously. "Let Chaos die with me."

Billy scowled darkly at that. "Hell, no!" he declared, sheathing the knife with abrupt, angry movements. "Nobody's dying today, Vince. Quit flirting with my wife and let her do her thing, or I'll kick your ass myself."

Those crimson eyes flickered as Vincent struggled to focus on the new voice. "Your-your wife?" he asked, the confusion returning.

"Yeah, my _wife_," he snapped, reaching down to grab his hand. He ignored the strange feel of the other man's elongated fingers as he separated them and cast a quick glance at Rebecca. "Hurry it up, honey. Even I can tell that he's not going to last much longer."

"Roger," she said, ducking her head to hide a relieved smile.

Leon was torn between amusement and concern as he watched Rebecca pulverize the last of the blue herb. Vincent still looked confused as his ruby gaze swept over them all, and he realized that the other man really was close to death. While Vincent Valentine might be nearly invulnerable, he had his weaknesses, like any other man. Apparently, poison was one of them.

Rebecca moved to feed the herbal compound to him, and he grasped her wrist with his free hand, his fever-bright gaze locking onto hers. "If I don't survive, go to Cid. He and Shera will care for you in my stead, and help you when Lord Gordo returns to the Lifestream."

"Vincent. . ." Her voice trailed off as she carefully removed herself from his grasp. "Don't say things like that," she told him, her voice sharp as she shoved the mixture towards him. "Open your mouth and swallow this, and then you can talk."

He smiled faintly and did what she asked, swallowing the mixture with a grimace of distaste. "Gawd, you're bossy. I've always loved that about you," he murmured before losing consciousness once more.

Billy let out a bark of laughter as the other man slumped to the floor. At Leon's exasperated look, he only shook his head. "Vince is one weird dude," he said in gross understatement.

"You think?" Leon shook his tawny head and sighed heavily. "Well, we'd better find a safe place to hole up. I think it's gonna be a while before he wakes up this time."

"It might take several hours for him to recover," Rebecca confirmed softly. "You should use one of those first aid sprays on him now. It will help speed the healing process along."

"I've got it." Leon pulled a silver can out of his supply pack and used it to heal the other man. He tossed the empty can aside and grabbed one of Vincent's arms. "Grab the other one, Coen. I'm willing to bet he's heavier than he looks."

Billy did as he asked and grunted with surprise. "Yeah, he is," he said as he wedged his shoulder under the unconscious man for support. "Where to, oh fearless leader?"

Leon shot him a dark look before glancing around the carnage-strewn hallway. "Let's try that office we found a few doors back. It's got a couch where we can lay him."

"And three headless corpses," Billy muttered with disgust. "We're tossing them out, right?"

"Well, duh." Billy chuckled again, and Leon grinned as they started to move. "Sometimes, you make it too damn easy, Coen."

"Yeah, yeah," he shot back, adding, "This time, _you_ can bite _me,_ Kennedy."

"Like that's gonna happen," Leon drawled with a shake of his head. He glanced around Billy, where Rebecca had taken up a protective position, her Beretta drawn. "Your old man's a definite pain in the ass, Becca."

"And this is one of his good days," she joked with a swift smile.

He cast her a smoldering sideways glance. "I'll show you good, little girl," he murmured silkily.

Leon shuddered mock disgust. "Not with me around, you won't!"

They came to a stop before a plain wooden door that sported a bloody handprint and went inside. The large office had been trashed before their first visit here, presumably by the three zombies that had attacked them. Papers were scattered throughout the room, and bloodstains spotted nearly every available surface. But a very nice leather sofa dominated the west wall, and dirty or not, that's what they needed.

They lowered the unconscious man to the sofa and laid him down, then shared a weary look that said, 'Now what?'. Billy glanced at the fallen zombies, his expression hardening, and grabbed one by the ankles. He dragged it to the door and out into the corridor, and Leon helped him with the other two before closing the door firmly.

Billy dropped to the ground beside the sofa and groaned loudly. "God, I'm beat!"

"Me, too," Rebecca said as she sat beside him. He put an arm around her shoulders and she laid her head on his shoulder. "We should contact Chris and warn him about the Sweepers, Leon."

Leon sighed and dropped to the floor, stretching his legs out and leaning back against the couch. "Yeah, we probably should," he agreed. He reached up and touched the transmitter, activating it. "Chris, it's Leon. We ran into a little problem, and. . ."

His voice trailed off as static met to his words. "Shit," he muttered tiredly, "communications are out."

Rebecca lifted her head, her green eyes widening. "Do you think Wesker's jamming the signal?" she asked fearfully.

"Maybe," he responded with a shrug. "Whether it's intentional or not, there's nothing we can do about it. S.T.A.R.S. is on their own for the time being."

She glanced at Vincent's prone form and sighed heavily. "I guess, you're right. We can't leave Vincent alone right now."

Billy grunted. "They'll be fine," he stated gruffly, hugging his wife closer. "You know how tough Chris is, sweetheart. Not to mention Valentine."

She nodded even as she burrowed closer. "That doesn't mean I'm not worry about them, Billy."

"I know, Rebecca."

He echoed her sigh and rubbed a comforting hand over her back. He hated that she had lost her comrades--her _family_--because of him, but there was nothing he could do to change it. He had tried so hard to fit in with S.T.A.R.S. for her sake, but nothing he'd said or done had been good enough for them. None of them had trusted him, especially Chris, who looked at Rebecca as another younger sister.

Redfield had been so damned overprotective that Billy had found himself sneaking around to see Rebecca behind his back. As ridiculous as it seemed now, he'd respected the man enough to try to spare his feelings. In the end, it had come down to a fistfight, and he had beat the shit out of Rebecca's commander while defending himself. S.T.A.R.S. had kicked him out of Alpha Team, and a part of him had nearly wept with relief, even as he mourned losing the woman he loved.

Heartbroken, he'd gone to stay with Leon, with whom he'd always gotten along. He'd been shocked when Rebecca showed up on Leon's doorstep two hours later, suitcase in hand. She had looked up at him with those big, heart-wrenching green eyes and declared her love. Then, she'd asked him to marry her.

Billy smiled to himself at the memory. He had been flabbergasted and had found himself trying to talk her _out_ of it. He'd been a mess back then. He'd had flashbacks so often that it was a wonder he hadn't cracked under the strain. He'd rarely slept, because the nightmares had made it all but impossible. He had drank in an effort to escape the memories that haunted him, too much and too often, which had only added to his rapid mood swings.

None of that had mattered to Rebecca. She had been determined to stay with him, and he'd found that he couldn't fight her. God knew, he loved her enough for ten men. Even now, after all these years, he couldn't get enough of her. He didn't think he ever would.

"We could go on," he offered in a quiet voice.

She raised her head, startled. "What do you mean?"

Billy felt Leon's gaze zero in on him but ignored it, all of his attention focused on the woman he'd dedicated his life to. "We can keep going, meet up with S.T.A.R.S.," he clarified.

Rebecca frowned faintly. "But what about Vincent?" she asked. "He's still unconscious."

"Leon can stay with him," he said with a casualness he didn't feel.

Her pale green eyes widened as she realized just what he was offering to do. "No," she said flatly.

"Rebecca--"

"I said, no!" She raised a hand to side of his beloved face in a tender gesture. "I know you want to make me happy, Billy, but I chose to be here with you. _You,"_ she added with emphasis, "not S.T.A.R.S.."

He gazed at her with brooding cobalt eyes. "Are you sure?" he asked at length. "I know how much they mean to you."

Her eyes narrowed with the first signs of anger. "They don't mean as much as to me as you do, Billy Coen. Do you understand me?"

"Yeah," he said as relief rushed through him, "I understand you, sweetheart."

"Good," she said with a disdainful sniff. "Now, apologize to Leon for even _thinking_ about leaving him behind."

Billy glanced to his right, where Leon was watching him with steady blue eyes. "Sorry," he muttered uncomfortably.

Leon only smiled faintly. "It's okay, Billy. I understand."

"Thanks."

"But if you'd taken off, I would have kicked your ass once we got back to civilization."

Billy snorted. "You, and what army?"

Leon raised both fists and punched him on the arm as lightly as he could. "We've got a few hours to kill, Coen. Want to have a go at it?"

"No, he doesn't," Rebecca answered for him.

Billy chuckled and shrugged once. "Sorry, Leon, but the boss has spoken."

Leon only rolled his eyes. "Women."

The other man flashed a grin, which faded as he thought of the show Vincent had put on. "You know, as freaky as he looked, I think he was in control this time."

Leon didn't have to ask who he meant. "I noticed that, myself." He cast a glance over his shoulder, assuring himself that the other man was still out. "I have to admit that while I was surprised, I had a hard time not laughing when I saw what he turned into."

Billy choked back his own laughter at that. "God, but that was surreal. I was trying to get a clear shot at that Sweeper and there he was--hockey mask, chainsaw, and all. For a minute there, I thought I was hallucinating."

Rebecca laughed softly at his side, her light green eyes dancing with mirth. "It _was_ a strange sight," she agreed. "It almost makes me want to visit Vincent's world, just to see how different it really is."

"Forget it," her husband told her swiftly. "B.O.W.s are bad enough. The last thing I want is to get stuck in a world where everybody's a freakin' shapeshifter!"

Leon laughed aloud at that. "I have the feeling that Vincent would be considered different _anywhere,"_ he said drolly.

"God, I hope so!" Billy shook his dark head, his fine features creasing as he smiled. "I am wondering who Yuffie is, though."

"Me, too," Rebecca admitted in a low voice. "The expression on his face was. . .well, it was beautiful."

He scowled at her words, and she rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Give me a break, Billy. All I meant was that it looked like he really cared for her, whoever she was."

Billy nodded slowly, the frown fading. "After everything he told us, I would have expected it to be that Lucrecia he'd reach out to. Instead, it was some woman he's never mentioned. I can't help being curious," he added defensively.

"I'm curious, too," Leon said quietly, "but odds are that he's not going to remember much. I'm not going to ask about it, and I don't think that you should, either. We already know that Vincent's life hasn't been. . .easy."

"No shit," Billy snapped caustically. "I'm not completely insensitive, Leon. I realize that she's probably either dead, or back in his own world, where he can't get to her. I said that I was curious, not that I'm going to ask him about her. Even I'm not that big a prick."

Leon snorted at that, imitating the other man's habitual response, then grinned as Billy reached out and casually smacked the back of his head. "It was just a joke, Coen. Don't get your boxers in a bunch over it."

Billy narrowed his eyes menacingly, and Rebecca heaved a heavy sigh. "Okay, boys, find something else to do besides bicker, or your both going to be in big trouble once we get home."

Leon lifted one blond brow, his expression one of amusement. "Really?" he questioned musingly. "Just what are going to do, Becca?"

"I'll make Billy stay home with me on Superbowl Sunday," she returned smugly.

"Ouch," he said with a mock wince. "That's a low blow, Rebecca."

"And then some," Billy inserted, grinning again. He hugged her close, his cobalt eyes dancing with suppressed laughter. "What can I say, Leon? I'm a henpecked husband."

"Henpecked?!" Rebecca squeaked with outrage. "I'll show you henpecked, Billy Coen!"

Leon laughed as he watched Rebecca and Billy interact, each trying to out-tickle the other. This was what he'd always hoped to have, he thought with a twinge of envy. A happy, healthy marriage with a woman he could trust with his heart as well as his life. Instead, he'd gotten Ada Wong.

He immediately chastised himself for his thoughts. Ada loved him. He had no doubts about that. She had _died_ for him once. What more did she need to do to prove herself to him? Wasn't she double-crossing Wesker because _he_ had asked her to? Yes, he'd had to promise her immunity from prosecution for her role in all of this, but she had still put herself in a dangerous situation.

All for me, Leon thought with self-disgust. God knew, if Wesker ever discovered just what she was up to he'd kill her. As good an agent as Ada was, even she wasn't capable of taking on Albert Wesker. She was literally risking her life for him, and here he was, wishing that she were a different kind of woman.

Sometimes, he hated himself, and the way that The Program had changed him. His past had taught him to be cautious, but working for the government had hardened him. He'd learned to hide himself behind a light-hearted façade, and not even Ada had managed to break through it, even though a part of him _wanted_ her to. But no, she seemed content with their simple, shallow relationship. He only wished that he was, as well.

He laid his head back on the sofa and wondered what she was doing right now. Was she holed up with Wesker, smiling that mysterious smile that had always pissed him off, as she plotted her betrayal? Had Wesker caught her trying to steal his research records? Was she running for her life through this fucked up place like they were? He had no way of knowing if she were even still alive, and it was driving him crazy. He _did_ care for her, even if he didn't dare admit it to her, and he didn't want anything to happen to her.

Movement behind him had him leaping to his feet in an instinctual response to a possible threat. He whirled around, his gun half-drawn, before he realized that it was only Vincent coming to. He glanced to his right and saw that Billy had had the same reaction. The older man looked chagrined as he holstered his Magnum and stepped to one side, revealing Rebecca's slight form. As always, he had shoved her behind him in an attempt to protect her, which had earned him a frown from his independent wife.

She only shook her head as she watched Vincent open his eyes. He glanced around the room, pausing as his gaze landed on her. A slight frown pulled his black brows together as he slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, and she had a feeling that he was remembering some of what had happened before he'd lost consciousness.

"How are you feeling?" she asked in a soft, sympathetic voice.

Vincent didn't answer as he looked away, trying to make sense out of the jumbled tangle of his thoughts. He remembered the Sweeper poisoning him, and changing into Hellmasker to save his comrades. He'd saved Leon from decapitation, but beyond that, he could recall very little.

An image of Yuffie popped into his mind, her expression fierce as she forced him to eat something dreadful, and he frowned. Where had _that_ come from? he asked himself with bewilderment. He hadn't seen Yuffie since ordering her to stay behind in the Northern Cave. Although she'd been in his thoughts a great deal since then, this felt like an actual _memory._

He raised his head, his crimson eyes settling on Rebecca, and he knew. He winced inwardly as he realized that, in the fever caused by the Sweeper's toxin, he had mistaken her for Yuffie, and responded accordingly. Gawd, but he hoped that he hadn't said or done anything to offend her!

She didn't seem upset or angry with him, so maybe, he'd done nothing more than declare his feelings. He certainly hoped that was the case! "I was poisoned," he said, focusing on the facts. He wouldn't mention it if _she_ didn't. "How is it that I'm still alive?"

Rebecca only smiled a little as she said, "I used a blue herb to heal you."

Vincent only nodded as he glanced around the room, recognizing it as one they had already searched. "How long was I out?" he asked at length, hoping he hadn't delayed their quest too long.

"About an hour." Leon approached him and dropped into a crouch, wanting to see his expression when he asked his next question. "Why didn't you tell us that Chaos wasn't the only form you could take?"

Veiled ruby eyes met and held his own. "You were never in any danger from me, Leon."

"That's not what he asked, Vince," Billy inserted, not unkindly.

"Why do you think?" Vincent returned simply, adding, "I saw how you reacted to Chaos. I did not want you to think me any more a monster than you already did."

Leon studied him for a long moment before nodding. "So, you're a shape-shifter, huh? What's it like?"

Vincent shrugged as he rose to his feet in a graceful motion. "I don't think I can adequately describe it to you, Leon."

"Does it hurt?" Rebecca questioned curiously.

"No, not really. It's more. . .discomforting, than anything else."

"I'll bet," Billy said with a hint of wryness. "So, how many. . .things can you turn into, anyway?"

"I can assume four forms," Vincent replied in a neutral voice. "Chaos and Hellmasker you've already seen. Death Gigas and Galian Beast you have not. I can control them all."

Billy crossed his arms over his muscular chest. "Except for Chaos, right?"

"That remains to be seen," he answered somewhat cryptically.

"Because of the Proto-Materia," Leon murmured as he straightened.

"Exactly." Vincent drew the Cerberus and calmly reloaded it. "I'm sorry to have delayed your quest, Leon. I am ready to continue whenever you are."

Leon watched as he snapped the extravagant-looking gun closed and shook his head, fully aware that the other man was uncomfortable with the personal conversation, and let it go. "Are you sure you're up to it?" he asked instead. "That Sweeper's toxin took you down pretty damn fast."

"Poison may affect me quickly, but I am still resistant--if not immune--to most diseases." At the other man's skeptical expression, Vincent smiled faintly. "I'm up to it, Leon, I promise you."

Leon glanced at Rebecca and Billy, who both nodded as they drew their weapons, and drew his own. "Let's move on, then."

Vincent took his previous position at the rear and found himself walking beside Rebecca. He snuck furtive glances at her as they made their way through the now-empty corridor, studying her expression for any hint of distress. She seemed perfectly at ease with him, going so far as to nod in acknowledgement when she caught him looking, and he breathed a silent sigh of relief. Whatever it was he had done, it hadn't been enough to warrant the censure of either her or her husband.

Which was good, because he found that he was coming to like Billy Coen. If he was to be stuck in this world, he didn't want to find himself alone. He would make new alliances, new friendships, and he would never forget the seven he had left behind.

He wondered briefly if Cloud and the others had managed to find their way here, and immediately dismissed the notion. If Cloud had succeeded in reopening the portal, he would have found him by now. His own group had left a long trail of dead monsters in their wake, one that Cloud would instantly know to follow. Since they hadn't, he knew that his friend had failed in his attempt, and he mourned their loss deeply.

"Heads up," Leon said from the front, nodding towards a door marked 'Training Ground Maintenance Access'.

"Great," Billy muttered unhappily. "God only knows what they've got running loose in _there."_

"Hey, as long as it's not a giant boulder, I'm happy," Leon declared with a sudden grin.

Rebecca shook her head with its sleek cap of honey-brown hair. "If it is, you're going first," she told him, laughter lacing her words.

"Gee, thanks, Becca," he returned, his voice very dry.

She only smiled very sweetly. "Don't mention it, Leon."

Vincent found himself smiling even though he didn't understand the obviously private joke. He liked the way that they interacted with one another, each quick to respond to a taunt or insult, but without offending the other. That they cared for each other was obvious, and he found himself wishing that _he_ could be a part of it.

"Is everyone locked and loaded?" Leon was asking, and he nodded solemnly, as did Billy and Rebecca. "Alrighty then, let's get this over with."

He heard Billy snort as Leon grasped the door's metal handle, but there were no more words. Though they didn't know exactly what awaited them beyond this point, they knew that they would soon find themselves fighting for their lives. The time for levity had most assuredly passed.

Vincent watched as the other man turned the handle slowly, almost reluctantly, then pushed the door open in a like manner. Inky darkness greeted them, drawing a muffled curse from their leader. Leon reached towards his belt, and bright light lit the way before them. Much as it had been in the Northern Cave, the light refused to penetrate the pitch-black gloom, and Vincent found himself praying that Genesis was_ not_ lying in wait somewhere in that night-dark void.

As they stepped over the threshold, he uttered a prayer to The Planet, hoping that even here, she would hear him and respond. He wanted _nothing_ to happen to his newfound friends.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, who are the property of Capcom and Square-Enix, respectively.

Synopsis: If you've played Dirge Of Cerberus, and you got the secret ending, you'll have an idea of what I'm planning. If not, you'll figure it out soon enoughJ

Author's Note: The first appearance of the Turks, as well as a little Crisis Core background. Beta'd by Littlehouseinthewoods, the world's best beta! Enjoy the tale:)

* * *

Chapter Seven

The corridor stretched out before them, painted that sickly shade of green that was incorporated into all of Umbrella facilities, or so Leon whispered as they crept forward. It was hard to tell which color it truly was, since the only light available to them was the small one hooked to Leon's belt. Vincent held the Cerberus out before him, his enhanced eyesight barely able to penetrate the darkness which engulfed them. They were searching for an electrical panel, a switch, anything that would help them restore the power here.

And the power _was _out in this section. Leon had found a note on the ground just inside of the door, one Umbrella employee chiding the other for constantly losing his Power Room access keycard, especially in light of the recent power outages the facility had suffered. Unfortunately, they had yet to come across such an item, let alone the Power Room. It had to be here somewhere, yet the darkness made searching singularly difficult.

A high-pitched keening sound filled the corridor, and Vincent swung to his left, where the sound had originated. He carefully reached out with his armored hand but met no obstacle. The corridor must branch off here, he mused silently. The tortured, pain-filled wail--he could describe it no other way--sounded again, and he took an unconscious step towards it.

"Wait." Leon joined him, adjusting the light so that it illuminated their path. "We go together, Vincent."

"As you wish."

There was indeed another passage here, the floor of which was slick with what appeared to be fresh blood. Vincent merely shook his head and did his best to ignore the smell that usually heralded death. The wail changed, lowering in volume, then was replaced by weeping. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor bastard whose life was slipping away as they stumbled around in the dark, unable to locate him.

"Oh, God!" Rebecca exclaimed softly, shuddering as the sound cut through her. "We're coming!" she called out, unable to help herself. "Just hang on!"

"Dammitt, woman!" Billy grabbed her arm when she would have gone rushing forward, keeping her at his side. "We don't know what's waiting for us in here. You can't just go off half-cocked by yourself."

"But somebody's in pain," she protested, pulling uselessly in the direction of the crying. "I can't just let them suffer alone. I _have_ to help them, Billy."

"We will," he promised her, and he meant it. Rebecca was a healer, both by nature and by choice. If she wanted to try to save the poor schmuck that even he could tell was dying, then he would do whatever it took to help her, so long as it didn't endanger her own life. "I'll get you to 'em, sweetheart. Just stay close to me."

"Thank you, Billy," she said with relief.

"Your welcome, gorgeous." He slowly released her arm, waiting a few seconds to make sure that she wasn't going to take off again. "Leon?"

"We're on it," Leon assured him quickly. "Vincent, can you sense any threats up ahead?"

Vincent raised one eyebrow at that. Just what did Leon think he could do? he thought, baffled. "Uh, no," he answered at length, "I don't 'sense' anything malevolent."

"Good," Leon stated with real relief. He trained the Broken Butterfly on the area directly before him and picked up the pace. Vincent merely shook his head as he followed, bemused by the other man's apparent confidence in his abilities. While his senses _were_ enhanced, he was still human--mostly.

Perhaps, it was time to sit his new comrades down and explain exactly what he could and could not do. While he had a great many abilities, he was not psychic, by any means. That Leon appeared to believe so made him wonder just what tales of shape-shifters and magic-users were told in this world.

The weeping sound was closer now, coming from somewhere up ahead and slightly to their left. Leon adjusted the light and stopped dead in his tracks. A woman sat against the wall, a smooth fall of blond hair hiding her features. Her black business suit was wet with what looked like blood, and Leon was willing to bet that it was her blood they had tracked through to get here.

She was still weeping softly, oblivious to their presence, and he could see why. Several black-and-silver metallic spikes, which had obviously been fashioned to resemble _feathers,_ had been somehow driven into her body. Those ridiculous looking spikes had penetrated the wall behind her, effectively pinning her into place.

"Christ!" Billy hissed behind him, and Leon understood completely. What kind of animal would do this to another human being? "Rebecca?"

Rebecca swallowed hard as she swept past him, her expression one of horror. She dropped to her knees beside the woman, oblivious to the blood soaking into her uniform, and immediately pulled out her medical kit. "I don't know if you can hear me," she began in a soft, soothing voice, "but we're here to help you. My name is Rebecca Chambers. I'm a medic. Can you talk? Can you tell me your name?"

The woman lifted her head slowly, revealing a pair of pain-filled, cat-like blue eyes. "E-Elena," she gasped, those eyes widening dramatically as she looked past Rebecca.

"Vincent Valentine!"

Vincent gazed down at her with a veiled expression that hid his own confusion. "Elena," he returned evenly. He dropped to a crouch before her, his eyes drawn to the metal feathers. "Where are Tseng and the others?"

"Wait a minute!" Billy declared impatiently. "You _know_ her?"

Vincent ignored him, all of his attention focused on the youngest member of the Turks. "Elena?" he prompted gently.

"I don't know." Tears filled her eyes to overflowing. "We were attacked by a man Tseng called Genesis. We were separated during the fight, and I crawled in here through a vent, searching for Tseng. I found Genesis, instead."

He only nodded, his near perfect features betraying his sympathy as he watched her bleed. "How did you find your way to this world?" he asked, hoping beyond hope that President Shinra had somehow managed to build his own, completely separate inter-dimensional portal.

"We followed the Shera II to the Northern Crater," Elena answered, her voice wavering precariously. "We were listening to your transmissions, and we were ordered to follow you all into the portal. It closed before we could follow Cloud and the others, but it reopened a few moments later, so we went through it."

"And so you entered this nightmare world," Vincent murmured, half to himself, as her words sank in. Cloud and the others _had _followed him into the portal. They were here, somewhere, trapped as he was. He was no longer _alone._

Crimson eyes met and held hers. "What were you searching for, Elena?"

"Sephiroth," she whispered with shame.

"All right, that's it," Billy said angrily. "Even I know that finding Sephiroth would be bad. Who the hell is she, Vince?"

He sighed heavily and rose to his feet, his eyes gleaming in the field light's bright beam. "Elena is one of the four members of the Turks," he answered. "Tseng, Reno, and Rude are the other three."

"And they still work for Shinra's President?" Leon asked quietly, the first time he had spoken since finding the woman.

"Unfortunately, yes." Vincent sighed again. "Like us, they assumed that the feather we found meant that Sephiroth had been reborn. They were likely ordered to find and subdue Sephiroth, or wait until we had defeated him once again to get a sample of Jenova's cells. Am I right, Elena?"

"Y-Yes," came the weak, nearly inaudible answer. "I know you probably hate us, but you have to find Tseng before Genesis does. I can't stand the thought of him dying like this. . ."

"You're not going to die!" Rebecca told her sharply. She pulled a syringe out of the medical pack and quickly filled it. "I'm going to give you something for the pain, and then I'm going to remove these. . .things and patch you up. You'll be good as new in no time."

Elena didn't respond, merely rolled her head until she could meet Vincent's gaze. "You'll find Tseng, won't you?"

He nodded once, unable to give her verbal reassurance. If Genesis had indeed gone after the other Turks, they were probably already dead. Elena had to know this, yet she still hoped to save the man the loved. If nothing else, he would say a prayer over Tseng's body for her.

A part of him rebelled at the thought. After all, they had been responsible for Kadaj getting his hands on Jenova's head last year. He himself had healed them after the boy and his gang had tortured them, even though he had personally believed that they deserved what they'd gotten. Still, it went against his nature to turn his back on those in need--even if they _were_ Rufus' lackeys.

Rebecca finished administering the painkiller and tucked the syringe away. She watched anxiously as the woman's features slowly relaxed, indicating that the drug was having its intended effect. She murmured reassurances to the woman from Vincent's world, even as she wondered just how she was going to do this. The spikes had been fashioned to resemble a bird's feathers, yet the edges were ragged, not smooth. They kept the wounds open, which was causing her to bleed out more quickly than she might have normally. She was going to need help with this one, she thought with a silent sigh.

She lifted her head, her expression unconsciously pleading. "This is going to be painful. I need you guys to hold her while I remove each spike and apply the stitches."

Billy immediately knelt beside the woman. "Whatever you need, sweetheart," he said as he grasped her right arm.

Leon looked a little green as he nodded his own agreement, only to have Rebecca shake her head negatively. "I'll need you to keep the light steady, Leon."

He looked so relieved as he nodded his agreement that Vincent had to fight a wholly inappropriate smile. "I'll do it," he said quietly. Like Billy, he believed that Elena was too close to death to save, but he was willing to do whatever it took to help Rebecca save her life.

He knelt at Elena's right side and carefully placed one hand on her shoulder, while grasping her upper arm with the other. "Brace yourself, Elena," he murmured in warning.

"Stop right there!" A man came running out of the darkness at the opposite end of the corridor, his hard-soled shoes squeaking as he rushed towards them. "Get away from her--now!"

Billy immediately released his hold on the dying woman and drew his magnum, training it on the stranger with deadly intent. Leon did the same, though the motion appeared awkward as he kept his body angled towards Elena because of the light. Vincent merely sighed and called out, "We are not a threat, Tseng."

Tseng, leader of The Turks, slowed to a walk at the sound of his voice. "Vincent Valentine," he stated, slowly lowering the pistol in his right hand. He came to a halt a few feet away, his features cast in shadow, as he studied his subordinate--and lover. _"Elena."_

At the low, urgent voice, Elena opened blurry blue eyes. She focused on Tseng and smiled weakly, unable to more in her current condition. Her eyes closed once more, and Tseng carefully knelt before her. His black eyes fastened on the spike pinning her right shoulder to the wall and narrowed menacingly.

"_Genesis," _he hissed, the animosity in his voice surprising them all.

"What do you know of him?" Vincent asked, wondering just what Tseng knew--or thought he knew--about the being who called himself Genesis.

Tseng only shook his head, the black warrior's tail at the back of his head swinging with the movement. "Will she live?" he asked instead, the abrupt change of subject typical of the secretive Turk.

Leon hesitated as he lowered his weapon, gesturing for Billy to do the same. "Rebecca thinks she can save her," he said in answer.

The tall, slender man nodded once in acknowledgement of the slight woman at his side. His veiled gaze met and held Vincent's for a long, tense moment. "Where are Cloud and the others?"

Vincent returned that gaze in silence, unwilling to give him any information that might help The Turk's mission. "You know that it is not Sephiroth who awaits us here," he said instead.

"Yes."

Tseng's smooth Asian features were expressionless, reflecting none of his thoughts, and Vincent suppressed a flare of rage. This was the man who had personally gone into the Northern Crater last year and set Kadaj's tragedy in motion. For a moment, Vincent regretted saving his life, and then shoved the unwanted feeling aside. He had done what was right, whether Tseng and Elena had deserved to be saved or not.

He wished, not for the first time, that he had taken the time to pack more than four potions. He was down to three, and even those wouldn't be enough to save Elena's life. If only he had an X-Potion, or an Elixir. Right now, he'd even settle for a Phoenix Down, providing it's natural magic would work in this magicless world.

Of course, it would, he assured himself. Hadn't the potion he'd taken earlier restored his own strength? He turned to Tseng with a determined expression. "Do have any Elixir's or X-Potions on you?" he asked abruptly. "We'll need something to heal her once the spikes are removed. Otherwise, I don't believe this world's medicine will be enough."

Tseng's face lost all color. "Of course," he said, his usually emotionless voice hoarse as he reached into his suit jacket. He withdrew a small, triangular bottle and gave it to Vincent, his gaze immediately returning to the woman in question. "I am in your debt once again, Vincent Valentine."

Vincent ignored him as he glanced at Leon, holding the bottle up for his inspection. "This will heal her completely, but we'll have a very short time to administer it. I'm afraid that we'll need you to either remove one of the spikes, or help hold her while we do it."

Leon looked at the bottle, which sparkled with what he assumed was magic even in the limited light, and nodded slowly. God, but he hated seeing a woman suffer! he thought with a concealed shudder. That, more than anything, was what had kept him rooted in place during all of this. To know that some man--and he used that term loosely--had done _this_ to a female sickened him. Women were to be protected and cherished. Period. Damn it, this was wrong on so many levels that he didn't even know where to begin!

He thought once again of Ada, who was the strongest, most competent woman he'd ever known, and cringed. She was a part of this, of Wesker and Genesis' madness. She probably had been all along. Now, he could finally understand just why she had come to him and offered to switch sides. While she might be a ruthlessly proficient spy, she _did_ have a soul, a conscious. It's why she hadn't been able to kill him ten years ago in Raccoon City, and part of the reason she was willing to risk Wesker's wrath to help him now.

"Leon."

He started, his body jerking, and met Billy's gaze. "Do you want to restrain her or--"

"I'll hold her," Leon cut in quietly. "You help Vincent and. . .Tseng take care of the spikes."

Billy nodded, his midnight eyes watchful as he backed away to make room for Leon. The other man took his place, his youthful features all too grim, as he removed the light from his belt and carefully placed it on the ground facing them. He set one hand on Elena's diaphragm, just above her stomach, and grasped her upper arm with the other. He knew his friend well enough to realize just how hard this had to be for him. While he respected independent women like Claire Redfield and Ada Wong, he was an old-fashioned man at heart. He believed that woman should be treasured and cosseted, and seeing what Genesis had done to this chick had to be fucking with him.

He glanced at the newcomer, who looked as though he were struggling to keep his composure, then at Rebecca. "Are you up to this, honey?"

Rebecca nodded quickly, her green eyes just a little too wide. "I just hope that little bottle of whatever-it-is does what Vincent says it will."

"It will," Vincent assured her, his expression solemn as his gaze met hers. "I would not take such a chance were I not absolutely certain of it."

Billy smiled a little at that. "We're ready when you are, Vince."

Vincent drew a deep breath and shifted slightly. "I'll take the one here," he said, gesturing towards the one embedded in her left upper arm. "Billy, the one beside Leon is yours. Tseng--"

"I have no need of instructions." Tseng leaned towards his lover, his right hand hovering over the feather-like barb that had buried itself in her abdomen. "Be ready with the Elixir, Vincent, or you will answer to me."

Billy glared at him with narrowed eyes at the obvious threat. "Fuck with Vince and you'll regret it, asshole."

Tseng turned his head just enough to meet the stranger's angry gaze. "If she dies, you will all follow," he said almost conversationally. "I merely wanted to make that clear."

"Geez, Tseng," a new voice said from behind them, "no wonder you don't have any friends. You really need to lighten up. Valentine saved your life last year, remember?"

Tseng didn't deign to turn around. "Hold your tongue, Reno. _You_ need to remember who's in charge here."

A slender man with shocking red hair stepped forward, followed by a bronze-skinned shadow. Both were decked out in black business suits, although the one called Reno had his white shirt hanging out of his waistband. "Just chill out, Tseng. I'm sure Valentine knows what he's doing. Right, Rude?"

The muscular black man merely grunted and smoothed a hand down the length of his tie. A pair of expensive-looking sunglasses was tucked into the vee of his blazer, and his bald head gleamed in the faint light as he dropped into a crouch. "You can save her?" he said in his naturally deep voice.

"I believe so," Vincent answered in kind.

"Cool," Reno said with a slight smile. Like Rude, he crouched beside their leader, laying his metal baton on the ground beside him. "You uh, need us to hold her, or anything?"

"That would be great," Leon said with feeling.

Reno grabbed one leg, and Rude the other. "The name's Reno," he said, then jerked his head in his friend's direction. "This is my partner, Rude."

"Leon Kennedy," Leon returned, grateful for the normal conversation in the midst of such chaos. "This here is Billy Coen, and his wife, Rebecca Chambers."

Reno's light blue eyes flicked briefly to Rebecca, and he sighed dramatically. "Why are the pretty ones are always taken?" he said lightly.

Billy snorted at that, but strangely, wasn't bothered by the remark. Maybe, it was the way Reno's too-pretty features tightened as he turned back to Elena. He showed no further interest in Rebecca, all of his attention focused on his dying comrade. Rude was the same, although he hadn't spoken since his first concerned inquiry. Vincent's world might be different, but the people in it were clearly still human beings.

Always nice to know, he thought as he grasped the sharp-edged feather. "On three?"

"No." Vincent grasped his own spike, and Tseng did the same. _"Now."_

In unison, they pulled all three spikes out of Elena's body. She screamed and attempted to follow, but they managed to hold her in place. She was wide awake now, crying out her pain with every breath that she took, blood pouring from those wound in a thick crimson flood. Vincent winced as he surged to his feet and pulled the stopper off of the bottle of Elixir. "Step away from her," he ordered, and then sent the bottle spinning into the air above the fallen woman.

The bottle seemed to explode in midair, the shattered glass disappearing in a cascade of bright, twinkling lights. The multi-colored sparkles rained over the mortally wounded woman, enveloping her in a bright, aura-like light. Then, the light was gone, and Elena was pushing herself to her feet, all traces of her wounds gone. Even the blood that had all but covered her had disappeared, leaving her smart suit looking as good as new.

"Tseng!" Elena rushed towards him, then came to an abrupt stop a mere foot away. She lowered her gaze respectfully, well aware that her behavior was far from proper. "Would like to hear my report, sir?"

"No."

Tseng stepped forward and pulled her into his arms, leaving Reno and Rude to gape at him with astonishment. Even Vincent raised one dark eyebrow at the _very_ uncharacteristic display of affection. Leon only grinned as he grabbed the survival light off the floor and attached it to his belt.

"Uh, Tseng?" Reno traded a confused glance with Rude, who only shrugged in response. "Are you okay?"

"Shut up, Reno." Tseng's voice was like a lash as he tightened his hold on Elena. "If this makes it into either of your reports, you're fired."

They traded an alarmed look. "Yes, sir!" the said in unison.

Billy couldn't help but laugh as he put arm around Rebecca's shoulders and pulled her to his side. "I guess your world isn't all _that_ different, Vincent."

"Indeed," Vincent murmured with a smile of his own. "Perhaps, we should give them some privacy."

"That won't be necessary, Mr. Valentine." Tseng ran a hand over Elena's golden hair before stepping away. He turned to Vincent and extended his hand, his inscrutable mask firmly in place. "Once again, I find myself in your debt."

Vincent glanced down at the proffered hand, not quite able to hide his distaste. "You owe me nothing, Tseng."

"Yes, I do," the Turk insisted implacably. "Name your price, Mr. Valentine."

"You have nothing that I want," Vincent said as he turned away.

Tseng lowered his hand slowly. "You do not want to hear what I know about Genesis, then?"

Vincent whirled around so quickly that his cloak slapped Tseng's legs. "I asked you before what you knew of Genesis," he all but growled. "You did not deign to answer."

"I will, now."

"Tseng!" Elena protested. "You can't!"

Tseng didn't respond, merely gazed at Vincent with those unreadable black eyes. Vincent finally sighed, suddenly certain that he did _not_ want to hear this, and said, "Tell me."

"It wasn't Genesis who attacked us," Tseng began. "Oh, it looked like him, but it was _not _Genesis."

"What?" Elena took a step towards him, professional distance forgotten as she grasped his arm. "If that wasn't Genesis, then who the hell was it?"

Tseng reached into his blazer and withdrew a rectangular card. "Before I continue, we should restore the power in this sector. It is too dark too fight effectively should we be forced into another confrontation. I found this," he handed him the card, "at the other end of the corridor. It should help."

Vincent took the card, which had the words _Power Room_ scrawled across the front. "Leon?"

Leon stepped forward and let out an audible sigh of relief. "Thank God," he muttered as he took the key card. "Let's find the Power Room and juice this place up. Then, Tseng can tell us just what it is we're up against here."

The man in question inclined his dark head regally, and then turned to his subordinates. "Reno, take Rude and go back the way we came."

"Aw, come on, Tseng--"

"Use the lighter that I _know_ you carry--against Shinra company policy, I might add--and check each and every door between here and the corridor's end. Report back to me as soon as you're done, or you've found the Power Room. Got it?"

"Yeah, yeah," Reno muttered unhappily, "we've got it. Come on, Rude."

Rude merely nodded his acquiescence, waiting until Reno had passed him to follow. Tseng let out a relieved breath and turned back to Vincent Valentine and the strangers he traveled with. "Now, I will tell you a tale of pride, betrayal, heroes, and monsters."

* * *

Chris was silent as he listened to the strangers describe the events that had led to Vincent Valentine's appearance in their world. After Valentine had defeated Weiss and Omega, saving their world from total destruction. The one called Reeve had gone to Shinra's headquarters to retrieve Weiss' body after the battle. Instead, they had found a feather. That one tiny little feather had been enough to send the heroes of the Jenova War racing to the place where they had defeated Sephiroth and his mother three years before.

"What does this Genesis look like?" Chris asked abruptly. "We saw the wing when he came through the portal, but we didn't get a real good look at his face, and I'd like to know who we're dealing with."

"Red-streaked hair, Mako-blue eyes. . ." Cloud frowned faintly as he tried to remember the being's face, and was startled by the image that came to mind. "Actually, he kind of looked Vincent, except for the eyes."

Tifa heard the surprise in her husband's voice and nodded emphatically. "I saw it, too. The resemblance," she added for clarification. "They could have been brothers. It was. . .strange."

"Yeah, it was pretty unsettling," he agreed, even as his too-pretty features took on a thoughtful cast.

Barret snorted behind them. "It reminded me of Sephiroth and Kadaj." He saw the questioning glance that Chris sent him and said, "Kadaj was this little shit that Cloud fought last year. Spiky here whooped his ass but good."

Cloud sent him an exasperated look. "He was just a kid, Barret."

"Yeah, well, that _kid_ triggered Reunion and tried to end the world. Damn near succeeded," the big man reminded him bluntly.

"I know," he acknowledged in a quiet voice. Visions of that battle, and Kadaj's transformation, danced through his mind. He wondered if Vincent and this Genesis might be the same, two sides of the same twisted coin. Just as he and Sephiroth had always been.

"I thought that only Sephiroth could trigger the Reunion," Jill said with surprise. "At least, that's how _I_ interpreted what Vincent told us."

Cloud shook his head negatively, even as he marveled that Vincent had been so open with these strangers. "Sephiroth was the strongest of Jenova's remnants, but he wasn't the only one."

"But Valentine told us that Sephiroth killed those remnants," Barry inserted with a frown. "He called it a slaughter."

Cloud only sighed at that. "Shinra had been running their experiments for years. Most of the remnants had been released into the world, where they lived normal lives. They had jobs, married, bore children. Kadaj was one of those children."

"But why did he try to end your world?" Claire asked, raising her voice slightly to be heard. "Was he crazy, or what?"

He slanted a glance at Tifa, who smiled encouragingly, before answering. "The impulse--the _need_--to join with Jenova is part of a remnant's chromosomal make-up. They feel. . .incomplete without 'Mother'. They are driven to join with her. It's a biological imperative for them."

Cloud broke off, his distaste obvious to all. "Kadaj was only sixteen," he said after a moment. "He was a just kid who was confused by the conflict going on inside of him. He knew of Sephiroth's origins--everyone did by then--and he realized that The Planet was using Geostigma to rid itself of what it considered malevolent intruders. He was only trying to fight back."

"You're too soft-hearted, kid," Cid called from his place in the back. "That punk nearly killed you. He deserved what he got."

Cloud only shrugged, unwilling to argue the point. "Maybe," was all he said in return.

"What's Geostigma?" Carlos asked into the silence that followed.

"A disease, of sorts." Cloud thought back to Vincent's words in the Forgotten Capital and explained, "Jenova had nearly killed The Planet when she landed. The Planet had been trying to heal for years, but the presence of Sephiroth and the other clones prevented it. After Sephiroth was defeated, it somehow managed to trigger the 'Stigma in the remaining remnants. The body would try to eliminate the Jenova gene and overcompensate, killing what it was trying so desperately to save, the human part of itself."

"What about you?" Claire demanded rudely. "You're one of Sephiroth's clones, right? How come _you're_ still alive?"

Cloud stopped dead in his tracks, his too-blue eyes wide as he swung around to face her. "Vincent told you _that?"_ he asked with shock.

"Uh-oh," Yuffie muttered uneasily. "This isn't going to be pretty!"

He barely heard her as he focused on the slender redhead with the defiant expression. "I'm nothing like Sephiroth!" he snapped, then drew a deep breath as he struggled to contain a sense of betrayal. What the hell had Vincent been thinking, confiding in these people--these _strangers?!_

Cloud forced himself to push his hurt aside and think logically. Vincent had been pulled into an alien world by a being more powerful than any he had ever encountered. When the portal had closed behind him, he'd probably believed that he would never see any of them again. He had obviously allied with these people, so maybe, he'd just wanted to give them as much information as possible. Knowing Vincent, he'd spilled his guts so that he could protect S.T.A.R.S. and their comrades--his new allies.

He sighed heavily and shook his head, wishing that the other man had had a little more faith in his friends. He felt a hand on his arm and looked up to find Tifa gazing at him with concern. "I'm all right," he assured her, covering her hand with his.

She only nodded and stepped away, leaving him with the task of trying to explain his very _existence._ "As far as I know, I was born human," he said at length, shrugging a little. "My father died when I was young, so I don't know too much about him. He could have been a remnant, I suppose.

"All I know is that after Sephiroth destroyed my hometown, I went after him. I don't know if I was looking for an explanation or revenge or both, but. . ." Cloud shrugged again, hating the memories that rose up to torment him so vividly. "He'd hurt Tifa and Zack, he'd killed my mother and all the people I grew up with. I'd looked up to him, admired him, and he'd betrayed me. I grabbed Zack's sword and I attacked him. I didn't care if I lived or died, so long as I took him with me."

"He ran me through, but not before I'd done the same to him," he continued flatly. "The last thing I remember is watching him fall from the catwalk in the Mako reactor. My memories are scattered after that, but I've pieced together enough to know that Zack and I were taken to the Shinra Mansion, the only building to survive the fire in Neibleheim. Apparently, Dr. Hojo had decided to use us as test subjects in his ongoing Jenova experiments. Sephiroth might be gone, but he had enough samples through us to continue his precious 'project'."

"Zack woke up first and freed me. I was practically catatonic at the time, but he protected me, kept me alive until we could hitch a ride to Midgar." Cloud smiled faintly. Not all of his memories were bad, after all. "Zack talked nonstop the whole trip. He told me about the girl he'd left behind there, and the business he was going to start. All I could do was lay there and listen, wishing I could respond. Then, Shinra found us. Zack died protecting me, and somehow, I managed to make it into Midgar, where Tifa finally found me."

Tifa echoed his smile as she shared the memory. "There you were, completely out of it, grasping that sword like it was a lifeline." She uttered a low laugh as her deep brown eyes flicked to the Buster Sword before returning to his. "You were a mess, but it was good to see you again after so long."

Cloud nodded, everything fading away but her. "Five years had passed, but you still looked the same. You were beautiful," he added sincerely.

She blushed even as she said, "And you looked a little worse for wear, but just as handsome as I remembered."

He switched the sword to his free hand and grasped her own. "I'm damned glad you found me, Tifa."

She smiled sweetly. "So am I, Cloud."

Reeve watched them gaze into one another's eyes, completely oblivious to the world around them, and carefully cleared his throat. "Ahem."

They jumped, both blushing deeply, and Reeve couldn't help but laugh. "I think I liked it better _before _you got married. You both had longer attention spans," he added humorously.

"Ain't it the truth," Barret chimed in with snort.

"_I _think it's sweet," Yuffie declared, adding with a grin, "So long as they're not necking, that is."

Cid laughed his agreement. "Are you all two done up there, or do we need to find you an inn?"

Nanaki chuckled at that. "I don't think we're going to find an inn anytime soon, Cid."

"Probably not," the older man said with a mock sigh. "Zip it up, kid. We've got work to do right now."

Tifa gasped, mortified. "Cid!"

Cloud only laughed as he gave her hand a squeeze and released her. "Give it a rest, old man. We're going."

"Who're you callin' old, you little shit?!"

"You, _old man."_

"That's it! You're walking back to Edge when we get home!"

Chris couldn't help but smile as he listened to the newcomers tease one another. They might dress strangely, but they weren't all _that_ different. Cloud, Tifa, and Yuffie looked a little young to be soldiers, but from what he'd seen, they were seasoned fighters all the same. Of course, Rebecca had been the same, long ago.

He resolutely pushed thoughts of Rebecca Chambers aside. His overprotectiveness had driven her away, and although he regretted it, there wasn't anything he could do to change it.

He glanced at Claire, who was frowning at Cloud, and realized that the young man never had answered her question. She looked like she wanted to question him further, but luckily, she was restraining herself. After listening to Cloud try to explain himself, he realized that the other man wasn't sure _what _he was. Hopefully, his sister had come to the same conclusion and would keep her mouth shut.

One could hope, he thought with fleeting humor. The humor died as they approached a large metal door. The words 'Training Ground' were painted on it in huge white letters, and his heart dropped into his feet. They had already managed to clear both hallways, which had held little more than the enhanced zombies they had already encountered, as well as purple-skinned Sweepers. They had made short work of them, and now, they had to go into what would most assuredly be a man-made theatre of war. All he could do was keep his wits about him and pray that they would survive what was to come.

Cloud came to a halt as they reached the door, his too-bright blue eyes narrowing on it. He separated his swords in an automatic gesture, gripping the hilts of both tightly. "Barret, Cid, you're with me. Tifa, you and Yuffie take the rear."

"Where do you want me?" Reeve asked in a quiet voice.

"Right where you are, Reeve." He glanced back over his shoulder, stepping back to make room for Barret and Cid, who flanked him protectively. "Nanaki, stay with him. Make sure nothing happens to him."

Nanaki nodded, his bright orange mane swaying with the movement, even as Reeve frowned. "Cloud--" he began, only to be cut off.

"No, Reeve," he said in a firm voice. "You're the man who has to rebuild The Planet. We need you alive to do it. Let Nanaki protect you while we do the rest."

His frown deepened, and Cid nodded in emphatic agreement. "The kid knows what he's talkin' about. Listen to him, Cait. Uh, I mean, Reeve," he amended sheepishly.

"Yo, Cid's right," Barret agreed, his deep voice booming through the corridor. "Keep your ass alive, Reeve. We'll kill all these fuckin' monsters for ya!"

Reeve realized that Cloud wasn't going to relent and sighed heavily. He glanced over his shoulder, where Tifa and Yuffie waited. "Do the two of you hold the same opinion, as well?"

Tifa nodded slowly, her rich brown hair swaying with the motion. "You're too important to risk, Reeve."

Yuffie thrust one fist into the air. "Yeah, we can handle anything that comes our way! Leave it to us!"

He smiled faintly before turning back to the young man he had chosen to follow three years before. "I guess, I'm outnumbered."

Cloud's mako-bright gaze swept over the two women before meeting his once more. Laughter lurked in their brilliant blue depths, echoed in his wide smile, as he murmured, "Smart man."

"I do my best," Reeve returned dryly.

The smile faded as he turned back towards the door. "We'll go in first," he announced decisively. "Captain Redfield, give us a few minutes to investigate before--"

"No." Chris shook his dark head negatively. "You and yours can go first if you want, but we'll be right behind you."

Cloud opened his mouth to protest, then thought better of it. While his own friends might follow his orders without question, he couldn't expect the same of S.T.A.R.S.. They were virtual strangers, for all that they had agreed to work together. "Watch yourselves, then," he said at last. "Neither of us need any more deaths on our conscience."

"Agreed," Chris said, bringing the Samurai Edge up before him.

Cloud slanted a glance at Barret, who nodded once in response, before pushing the door open. Cloud entered the darkened room slowly, both swords held tensely at his side. He could feel Barret and Cid as they took their places on either side of him, but he couldn't them. What he _could_ see was a faint, pale glow coming from multiple sections of the room. Unfortunately, he didn't have a light handy to--

"Yuffie!" he hissed as quietly as he could. "Do you still have the searchlight?"

"Y-Yeah," she stammered, "Just give me a minute. It's real dark in here, Cloud."

"No shit," Barret quipped caustically at his side.

"Barret, enough."

The other man fell silent, and Cloud released a long breath. He could hear Yuffie as she dug through her supply pouch, the sounds seeming to echo through the vast darkness. He heard her mutter under her breath, then the murmur of the others as they passed the searchlight along. Not one of them attempted to turn it on themselves, which told him just how nervous they were. He was their leader, so they would leave it to him. It was that simple.

As nice as it was to be trusted by his friends, they weren't the only ones who felt uneasy. This gloom reminded him of the Northern Cave, and he remembered all too well what had happened _there._ Still, they had to pass whatever trial might lie ahead to find Vincent, so they had no choice. They would deal with whatever came their way, and they would let _nothing _stop them.

"Here, kid."

Cloud let out a little grunt as the something solid was shoved into his stomach. He hastily sheathed the Hardedge and fumbled with the searchlight until he found the handle. He gripped it tightly and hit the power button with his thumb. A wide beam of bright, pure white light shot forward, nearly blinding them all. He winced and blinked his eyes rapidly, then squinted as he took stock of his surroundings.

"Oh Gawd, not another cave!" he heard Yuffie wail behind him.

It was indeed another cave. Not naturally formed, but a cave, just the same. As he swept the searchlight over the room, he realized that the faint glow he'd seen had come from several stalagmite formations, which protruded from the cavern floor. High above them, stalactites hung from the cavern's ceiling, twinkling with the same pale glow. Large crystals were embedded in the walls, luminous jewel-like stones whose radiance had been dulled by dirt and grime and what appeared to be streaks of dried blood.

"I don't like this," Chris muttered uneasily. "Just what kind of B.O.W.s could they have been training in a place like _this?"_

"The kind that can see in the dark, maybe?" Barry returned with a touch of anger.

"_Dios," _Carlos mumbled, lifting one hand from his M-16 to make the sign of the cross. "Don't say things like that, Barry!"

Claire only snorted. "Carlos, you are my hero," she said in her driest voice.

"Claire, leave him alone," Jill told her sternly. "We've got enough to worry about without the two of you sniping at one another."

Claire crossed her arms over her chest, her expression mulish. "Whatever," she grumbled, scowling at Carlos' smug smile.

Tifa watched in silence as the searchlight swept through the room, then gasped in dismay. "Cloud, above you!"

Cloud lifted the searchlight, his brilliant blue eyes widening, as he caught a glimpse of something horrific. Pale gray in color, what appeared to be wings spread out in a rapid motion, revealing a form that was warped and twisted. The creature hung from clawed feet, its blank white eyes trained on _him._ It opened its beak-like mouth, displaying two rows of razor-sharp teeth. In a movement almost too quick to track with the naked eye, it let out an earsplitting screech and dove towards them.

Cloud jumped into the air, the searchlight clattering to the floor, and met the monster halfway. He drove the Buster Sword into that open mouth, smiling in satisfaction as its angry cry was cut off abruptly. He tightened his grip on the sword and shoved forward with all of his strength. He was rewarded with the sound of ripping flesh as the monster was split in two. Blood and guts and bits of bone swirled around him in a macabre shower before falling from his sight.

He felt himself begin to fall and used half of the spiraling creature as leverage. He pushed himself off and flipped in mid-air, dramatically slowing his descent. He landed on one knee, only absently noting that his heart was thundering in his chest. He rose to his feet, his sword held at the ready, as another rushed him from his left.

He couldn't see much of the creature, only a blur blue of gray-hued skin as it passed through the searchlight's beam, but it was enough. He dove to one side, rolling away from the creature's massive claws. He heard it hit the ground, heard the scratch of those claws as it scrambled back to its feet, and he ran towards the sound.

And then he heard Barret's battle cry, the roar he used when he went on the offensive, and skidded to an abrupt stop. The other man began to fire the Missing Score, its high caliber bullets hitting their target with deadly accuracy. The massive, winged monster shuddered violently with each hit, those deafening shrieks filling the cavern until his ears began to ring. The creature was pushed back into the light, which caused it to hiss and cry all the more.

Finally, the beast dropped to the ground, the searchlight's beam pooling eerily around it. Cloud watched with cold satisfaction as it twitched and shuddered, violent spasms that he assumed were its death throes. Gawd, but he hoped so! he thought fervently. It would be damn near impossible to fight any of those small parasites--the Las Plagas, he reminded himself--in such total darkness.

Much to Cloud's relief, the monster died with a final, horrific squeal. It went completely still, and it didn't move again. He glanced at his friends, all of whom had gathered around the searchlight, and nodded once. "Is everyone okay?"

Barret snorted and raised his square chin. "Of course, we are. Not all of us need a big freakin' sword to fight, Spiky."

Cloud smiled faintly, for once not minding the hated nickname. He approached his wife, who had crossed her arms over her considerable chest, her expression one of rebuke, and extended his hand. "I'm all right, Tifa."

Tifa glanced down at his hand, then sighed and slipped her hand into his. "I hate it when you take off like that," she told him simply.

"I know." He tugged once and pulled her into his arms. "I'm sorry, if I frightened you, Tif--"

More shrieks filled the air, and Cloud's body tensed with anticipation. He released Tifa and whirled around, placing his body protectively before hers. "Tifa, grab the searchlight. Everyone else, get ready."

She picked up the searchlight and did a slow, thorough sweep of the room. "Cloud!" she cried, moving until her back was touching his. "There's more of them!"

"Damn!" More of the gray-skinned creatures had appeared, some sliding out of crevices in the man-made rock walls, some dropping from the cavern's rocky ceiling, all making their way towards them. "Captain Redfield?" he called out quickly.

"I see them." Chris made an abrupt gesture to either side of him, and S.T.A.R.S. took up their own battle formation. "We're ready, Cloud."

"What the hell _are_ these things?" Barry wondered aloud, not really expecting an answer.

"Who fucking cares?" Cid shot back impatiently, jabbing at one that came too close. "Just kill the damned things, alright?"

"Hell, ya!" Barret roared as he took aim at the closest B.O.W.. "Dead sucka's comin' up!"

"Oh, yeah!" Yuffie cried enthusiastically. "It's game time, boys and girls!"

Reeve glanced from her to Nanaki, who had his nose to the floor as he growled ferociously. The Limited Moon, his most powerful weapon, gleamed from the its place in his thick orange mane, and Reeve found himself relaxing a little. He was surrounded by his closest friends, all battle-proven warriors. Even Yuffie, for all of her ridiculous posturing, had proven herself. Not only in the fight against Deep Ground, but in the battle against Sephiroth three years before. That she was a loud-mouthed, irritating child was another matter entirely, and one he didn't have time to dwell on now.

He gripped the machine gun in his hands--one of the S.T.A.R.S. soldiers had called it a TMP--and took careful aim as the monsters began to close in. As he pulled the trigger, he found himself praying that they would not find Vincent until they were well past _this._


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, who are the property of Capcom and Square-Enix, respectively.

Synopsis: If you've played Dirge Of Cerberus, and you got the secret ending, you'll have an idea of what I'm planning. If not, you'll figure it out soon enough):)

Author's Note: More Crisis Core, more B.O.W.s. Beta'd by Littlehouseinthewoods.

* * *

Chapter Eight

"It's here," Reno was saying, using his baton to point at a door marked 'Power Room'. "See? Just like I said."

Tseng didn't respond, merely cast a pointed glance at the gold lighter that still flickered in Reno's grasp. Reno rolled his eyes as he snapped it shut and shoved it back into his pocket. His commander then looked at the blond stranger with the big, ornate silver handgun and stepped aside, as though expecting him to respond as any other subordinate would. Leon cast a veiled glance in Vincent's direction, only to have to him nod once, his own expression showing resignation. Apparently, he was used to the other man's arrogance, and he didn't like it any more than Leon did.

Leon pushed aside his irritation and stepped forward, taking a moment to study the card reader to the right of the door. Luckily, it didn't seem to require a special code, just the access card. He slid the card through the reader, sighing with relief as the light above it changed from red to green. The electronic door slid open as he stepped in front of it, revealing more darkness, and he just sighed.

"Well, we're in," he announced unnecessarily, reaching down to adjust the survival light's beam. "Billy, I want you to--"

A heavy, steam-like hiss was the only warning he got before he was jerked off his feet. He landed hard on his back, the impact jarring the Broken Butterfly from his hand. The gun went spinning into the blackness of the corridor as he was yanked feet-first into the darkened room.

"Leon!" Billy yanked the Magnum free of its holster and dove through the doorway, Vincent and Rebecca hot on his heels. The light on Leon's belt swayed wildly as he struggled against whatever held him captive, and they caught sight of the creature responsible.

Exposed muscles gleamed red, a stark contrast to the white bones that protected them. White, sightless eyes flashed uselessly in the faint light, while the exposed brain pulsed grotesquely above them. The creature's tongue was long and dotted with tiny barbs, and had wrapped itself around Leon's right calf. Little spots of what appeared to be blood had spread out around each of those barbs, showing just how much damage a Licker was capable of doing.

"Hold on, Leon!" Rebecca called out, her Beretta held out before her. "We'll save you!"

Billy snorted even as he took aim and pulled the trigger. He heard the retort of the Beretta as she fired, as well as the more quiet sound of a rifle shot. The Licker's exposed brain exploded under the impact of the last, and he turned to see Vincent lowering the rifle he'd used to save his own life earlier that day.

He smirked a little as he holstered the Magnum. "Nice shot, Vince."

"Thank you." Vincent put the Hydra away and calmly walked over to where Leon lay. The other man was pulling himself into a sitting position, gasping as he grasped his right leg. "How bad is it?"

"It stings like a bitch, but other than that. . ." Leon didn't finish as he released his leg and rose to his feet. "God, but I hate Lickers!"

"I can kinda see why," Reno drawled as he entered the room. He approached Leon and extended his hand, the Broken Butterfly glinting in the dull light. "I believe this is yours, friend."

"Yeah," Leon answered with a self-effacing laugh, "thanks, Reno."

"Don't mention it," Rude answered for him, earning a scowl from his partner.

Billy was shaking his head as he snatched the light of off his weapon's belt and shined it around the room. "Let's just get the lights turned on, alright? I'm tired of stumbling around in the dark."

"Here, here," Rebecca said in emphatic agreement. Like all of the Umbrella survivors, she had a fear of the dark and everything it could hide. "Hopefully, we won't run into any more of those things. They still scare the hell out of me."

"Me too, sweetheart," Billy commiserated, adding, "On the upside, at least they're not Eliminators."

Leon chuckled at that. "Big, bad Billy Coen, scared of a little bitty monkey?"

Billy shot him a mock glare over his shoulder. "Don't make me kick your ass, Kennedy."

Leon only grinned and said, "Bring it on, Jarhead."

Billy moved to do just that, and Rebecca stopped him by grabbing his arm with hands. "Oh, no, you don't, Billy Coen. You stay right here and turn on the damned lights."

"Better do what the boss says, Billy-boy," Leon said tauntingly.

"Damn it, Leon, you're as bad as he is," she declared crossly. "Quit teasing my husband and help him restore the power. _Now."_

Leon only grinned again as he moved towards the control panel Billy was now studying. "Come on, Vincent. You'd better stick with me. You don't want to get on Rebecca's bad side."

Vincent smothered a laugh as he moved to do just that, but was smart enough not to comment. He could tell that Rebecca was on edge, not only because of the dark, but because of the scare Leon had given them all. He glanced over his shoulder, surprised to see Reno and Rude randomly flicking switches on the other side of the room. It seemed that they didn't like the dark, either.

Tseng stood in the open doorway, speaking to Elena in low tones. He couldn't make out the words, but from the man's body language, he could make an educated guess. Tseng had already lost one woman he'd cared for when Sephiroth had killed Aeris Gainsborough. From all accounts, he had been quite fond of the last Ancient. And now, three years later, to come so close to losing Elena to a being so similar to Sephiroth. . .

Vincent could only imagine how terrified Tseng must have been when he had realized how close to death Elena truly was. Unlike Billy, he understood why Tseng had felt moved to threaten them. Had he himself not threatened Hojo in his concern over Lucrecia's health? Love truly did strange things to a man.

"Hold on, I think I've got it." Leon pushed a series of switches, and the room was filled with bright white light. "We've got power, people!"

"Yeah, and another one of those zombies, too." Reno used his baton to nudge the decaying body that sat in the far corner of the room, only to have the head drop to the floor with a sickening thud. "I'm willing to bet this one's not a threat anymore, though."

"No shit?" Billy snapped caustically. "Why don't you make yourself useful and pitch that thing into the hallway."

Reno's bright blue eyes narrowed fractionally. "You know, Vincent, your friend's kind of an asshole."

When Vincent only shrugged elegantly, Rude spoke up. "You do have a knack for stating the obvious, Reno."

Reno grunted before relenting. "True," he said, his good humor returning. "Come on, Rude. Let's get this thing out of here before it stinks up the place."

"You get the head."

"Thanks a lot, partner." Reno shot him a sour look as he grabbed the decapitated head by its oily hair. He stomped past Tseng and Elena, grumbling under his breath as he pitched it as far down hall as it would go. Rude approached, dragging the corpse by its legs, and he grabbed the arms, taking care not to get too close to the exposed neck. "I really hate zombies."

"You're not the only the one," Rude said as they disappeared into the hall.

Vincent turned towards Tseng and crossed his arms over his chest. "Talk," he said simply.

Tseng nodded and stepped further into the room. "Eight years ago, there were three SOLDIERS ranked 1st Class," he began grimly. "Sephiroth was the best of them all, a legend in his own time, the result of Dr. Hojo's Jenova Project, or Project S. The other two were from a small hamlet called Modeoheim. They were the heart of Project Genesis."

Vincent inhaled sharply. "Project G," he murmured, half to himself. Now, the files he'd found in the ruins of the Shinra building began to make sense. "And just who were these two SOLDIERS?"

"One was Angeal, son of the project's lead scientist, Dr. Gillian Hewley. He was Zack Fair's mentor," Tseng added pointedly. "Angeal was the one who recommended that Zack be promoted to 1st Class rank."

Leon's clear blue eyes sharpened at the emphasis placed on those words. "And just who is Zack Fair?" he asked cautiously.

Vincent only shook his head in silence. He had heard a great deal about the brash young SOLDIER who had sacrificed his life to save Cloud from the Shinra army, but Cloud's memories of that time were. . .distorted, to say the least. "And the last?" he asked at length, though he hardly needed to.

"Genesis himself," Tseng answered flatly. "Genesis Rhapsodos was the son of the Mayor of Modeoheim. He and Angeal were childhood friends. When Genesis was injured during a sparring session with Angeal and Sephiroth, it was discovered that the cells he'd been injected with as a fetus were deteriorating at an accelerated pace. He left SOLDIER and turned rogue in an attempt to find a cure for his deterioration. In time, he persuaded Angeal to do the same, even though Shinra was still in the midst of the war with Wutai."

He remembered Yuffie's words three years ago when she'd spoken of the war, and how it had affected the once bustling economy of her hometown. While he didn't know what had started the war, he knew that it had devastated Wutai, while Shinra had become nearly unstoppable as a result.

Billy made a rough sound. "What does this have to with--"

"Patience, Mr. Coen." Tseng took another step forward, his Asian features showing the first signs of annoyance. "Angeal was a man of pride, a man of honor. That pride made the monster he had become intolerable, and he strove to find a way to restore his humanity."

It was a feeling that Vincent understood all too well. "And did he find what he sought?"

"No," came the flat, emotionless answer. "Instead, he forced Zack into the duel which ultimately killed him. Unfortunately, his absence left Genesis' power unchecked. He had been injecting his own cells into others for months, creating an army of bi-directional closes. Much like Angeal, he had been searching for a way to correct the chromosomal abnormality within him. In time, his goal changed."

"He wanted to rule the world?" Vincent guessed flatly.

"Believe it or not, no," Tseng answered with a brief smile. "Genesis decided that that the near-pure Jenova cells Sephiroth carried inside of him were the answer. He told Sephiroth the truth of his birth, then asked his former friend for help."

"I'm sure that went well," Billy muttered caustically.

"Indeed," Vincent murmured in sad agreement. Compassion had never been Sephiroth's strong suit.

"Didn't Sephiroth help him?" Rebecca asked, both fascinated and repelled by the tale.

Tseng shook his head negatively. "Sephiroth turned him away, and Genesis just. . . disappeared. No one knew what had happened to him. In time, his very existence was forgotten. Then, important information surfaced five weeks ago, during Deep Ground's bid for The Planet, that changed everything."

Vincent tensed visibly, his crimson eyes sharpening on the other man. "What information?" he asked, the menace lacing his normally tranquil voice surprising them all.

The Turk merely looked at him with aloof black eyes. "The fourth G Report," he answered calmly, adding, "The disk that _you _missed when you searched the ruins of Shinra Mansion."

Anger surged through him and he did his best to control it. "And you never thought to share this information with us?" he inquired in a too-quiet voice.

"We were ordered not to," Elena inserted quickly. "Tseng had no choice but to follow The President's orders."

"_Rufus."_ Vincent turned away, absently focusing on one of the flickering security monitors as he fought to contain his rage. "And what did this report say?" he asked in a more normal tone.

"Enough to know that the hellspawn alluded to in the third report were none other than the Tsviets themselves."

"Epithets of color," he murmured on a sigh. _"That,_ I could have told you myself."

"There's more." Tseng took a step forward, lifting one shoulder in a half-shrug. "The vague reports you gave the WRO mentioned an old rumor of a powerful being--Genesis, presumably--who slumbered deep beneath Midgar. The fourth report was slightly more detailed. It revealed that Genesis that been taken by Deep Ground soldiers shortly after his defeat at the hands of a 1st Class Soldier. Zack again, if my memory serves me correctly."

"You knew this guy, then?" Leon asked quietly.

"I knew them all," Tseng answered with a sigh. The unflappable façade faded, and for just a moment, sorrow wearied his ageless features.

Then, it was gone, and the Turk was all business once again. "'Not quite dead, yet not fully alive.' That's how the report describes him. Even is his comatose state, he was powerful. Apparently, he is the one who gifted Nero with the power to create the darkness. He also granted him the power of rebirth."

Vincent swore as comprehension dawned. "Then, _Nero_ was the one who bound Omega to Weiss."

Tseng smiled faintly. "That is what we believe, Mr. Valentine."

Billy frowned at that. "You mean, you don't know?"

"The report was _very _vague," The Turk said with the faintest signs of irritation.

"Then, how do you know it that was one of the clones that attacked your girlfriend?" Billy demanded aggressively.

Tseng glared at him with narrowed eyes. "Because I remember Genesis well, and this man might have had looked like him, but he was no SOLDIER."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means that he lacked fighting skill," Vincent murmured thoughtfully.

Billy snorted at that. "Then, how did Elena here end up shishkabobbed?"

"The wing," Leon said with dawning comprehension. "The clone had a wing, like the one we saw on 'G' when he came through the portal. Somehow, he was able to use it to. . ."

His voice trailed off as he winced at his own insensitivity. He shot Elena an apologetic glance, but she surprised him by nodding vigorously. "The wing was soft when he used it to knock me down, but it changed right before he shot me. It was dark, but I didn't need to see it. I heard the sound of metal-on-metal. And I felt the change just fine," she added with a touch of anger.

Vincent tuned them out as he continued to stare at the flickering security monitors. For all of Hojo's egomaniacal boasting, he had been wrong, Vincent realized. It hadn't been him behind the Tsviets' failed coup. He might have managed to merge his consciousness with Weiss', but he obviously hadn't been in total control as he had believed. Somehow, Weiss must have found a way to break through Hojo's spiritual interference, as well as his body's unresponsive state, to appeal to his brother for help.

"Are you gonna tell him the rest?" Reno's quiet question pulled Vincent back to the present. He watched as Tseng's eyes narrowed in a furious warning, and Reno took a quick step away from his commander. "Sorry, boss, I just--"

"Silence." Tseng turned back to Vincent, who's normally tranquil features betrayed his anger. "The report doesn't go into detail, but it does say that Genesis shared the power of creation with Immaculate. While I've never personally seen Weiss, I assume that you have. Does the description fit?"

"Yes," Vincent muttered as his stomach turned over, "it does."

Suddenly, Vincent was terribly afraid for his friends. He'd known that Cloud wasn't strong enough to defeat Genesis, but he'd never dreamed that one being could hold such devastating power. If Tseng's report was accurate, not even Chaos would be capable of defeating a creature who was able to create life out of nothingness. Genesis would defeat them all--_kill_ them all--and use the power of Chaos to further his own selfish ambitions.

He couldn't let that happen. He refused to stand by and watch as those he cared for ran headlong into death. He was unwilling to stand on the sidelines and watch as he had so long ago with Lucrecia and Hojo. No, this time, he would intervene, and he would somehow find a way to save those he cherished so dearly.

The main monitor, which had been flickering with useless static, suddenly crackled to life. Beneath the flashing bars of electrical interference, Vincent could have sworn that he saw the tawny golden spikes of Cloud Strife's hair. _It's them!_ he thought, relief threatening to take his legs out from under him. Gripping the counter to steady himself, he leaned towards the screen, ruby eyes narrowing as he fought to see exactly what lay beneath the layers of interference.

"What is it?" Leon asked, coming up to stand beside him. He couldn't see much, only the faintest flashes of color lightening the darkened monitor, but he didn't doubt that

Vincent saw everything. The man's senses were phenomenally overdeveloped. "What do you see, Vincent?"

Vincent shook his head in the slightest of motions, his gaze locked on the security screen. "Tseng, how much do you know about computers?" he threw out unexpectedly.

The Turk didn't answer, merely approached him on swift, silent feet. He glanced at the monitor, then back at Elena. She joined them, her cat-like blue eyes widening slightly.

She positioned herself before the keyboard and began hitting keys. The screen cleared partially, although it was still hard to make anything out. ""Hey, I think I recognize that room," she gasped. "It looks like the one we passed through right after we came through the portal. It's all made up to look like a giant cave or something. It was really dark and creepy. I kept expecting to get attacked in there, not--"

Tseng set a brief hand on her shoulder, silently halting the flow of words. "Can you make the picture any clearer?" he asked quietly.

She nodded her fair hair once and went to work. Vincent could only watch as she worked her own type of magic, forcing himself to stand there calmly as impatience ate away at his restraint. While he was normally a _very _patient man--too patient, according to some--the knowledge that his friends were somewhere close by was enough to set his nerves on edge. Every moment spent away from them was a chance that they could be separated for good, or even worse--killed by a megalomaniacal former SOLDIER with the power of a god.

The picture finally cleared, and Elena stepped back with a sigh of relief. "Phew, I finally got it, Tseng."

It _was _Cloud, Vincent thought excitedly, along with Cid, Yuffie, and all of the others. There were _here._ And they were under attack, as were Leon's S.T.A.R.S. allies. Large, winged creatures, reminiscent of gray-skinned birds, were attacking from all sides, pouring into the large room from hidden entrances in the caves walls and ceilings. They were holding their own, but with so many of the monsters converging at once, it was only a matter of time before they would be completely overwhelmed.

_Like hell. _

"Can you lead us there?" he threw out abruptly.

"No," Tseng answered just as abruptly. Crimson eyes narrowed menacingly on his, and the Turk merely shook his head once. "You know what our orders are, Valentine."

Vincent took a step forward, the Cerberus in hand and pointed straight at Tseng's head. Tseng actually _smiled_ at him in response. "Go into the hall, bear west, then south. There's an access hatch at the end of the corridor. That should lead you to the rest of AVALANCHE."

"Avalanche?"

Vincent ignored Rebecca's soft query as he swept past them. "Consider us even," he threw over his shoulder.

He was nearly to the door when Leon called his name. He turned quickly, eager to be on his way. "What?" he snapped, his deep voice saturated with impatience.

Leon blinked, surprised by the harsh tone, as he approached the other man. "You're not going alone," he stated firmly. "We'll go with you."

Billy and Rebecca drew close, and Vincent's gaze touched them briefly. "Of course," he said, frowning faintly as he turned away. "I hadn't expected anything different."

Billy raised his eyebrows as he traded a glance with Leon, who only shrugged and followed Vincent out the door. The other man was striding down the blood-stained corridor quickly, all of his attention focused on the task at hand. He didn't speak as Leon caught up with him, didn't acknowledge him at all. It was so unlike the man he'd come to know that he didn't know what to make of it.

They came to the end of the corridor, where they had first heard Elena's cries, and turned left. With the power turned on, Leon could see the corridor clearly, and the access hatch Tseng had spoken of at the end of it. He could also see that most of the doors in this hall had been unlocked, and it made him nervous. God only knew what B.O.W.s were waiting for them stumble by. Vincent wasn't stopping though, so Leon glanced over his shoulder and motioned for Billy to keep an eye on their rear. The other man nodded, his fine features tense, ready for any surprises.

They were nearly to the hatch when they heard the fist hiss. To Leon's dismay, more of the red-skinned Lickers appeared, pouring out of the doorways that had so worried him. He traded the Broken Butterfly for the Killer 7 and quickly took aim. Vincent was already firing beside him, that gothic-looking handgun booming in his hand, his expression frighteningly cold. In that moment, Leon saw the Turk that Vincent Valentine had once been, and he was infinitely grateful that he hadn't known him then.

One of the larger Lickers lashed out with its tongue, wrapping around the Cerberus as Vincent pulled the trigger. He hung onto his father's weapon as the shot went wide, scowling as that barbed appendage threatened to pull him off his feet. He shifted, grabbed that grotesque tongue with left hand, and used his gauntlet's sharp blades to sever it. Blood poured from both ends as he jerked the Cerberus free, adjusted his aim, and blew that exposed cranium into pieces.

Leon could only shake his head as he helped Vincent cover their front. The quiet, nearly emotionless man he had met so many hours ago was gone. In his place was a soldier who was ruthless, efficient, and driven. Leon only hoped that Vincent's friends were all right, or there was going to be hell to pay for Tseng and his men.

A new sound reached his ears, a loud, ear-splitting screech, a sound unlike any he had ever heard. "Billy?" he hollered. "You hear that?"

"Hear it, hell!" Billy shot back, something like fear lacing his words. "I _see_ it, Leon. We'd better get the fuck out of here--_now."_

Leon glanced over his shoulder, his clear blue eyes widening dramatically as he realized just why Billy was so afraid. It looked like a fucking Pterodactyl! he thought incredulously.

The creature was easily as tall as a man, with the pasty grayish skin that marked most Umbrella B.O.W.s. It stood on two legs as it used its winged arms for further support. It shuffled towards them slowly, but steadily, its long beak showing razor-sharp teeth. It came towards them in a slow zigzag pattern, and he realized that it was doing its best to avoid the lights that graced either side of the corridor. It couldn't avoid it completely, but it managed to lift one clawed wing to slash at those it apparently found to be the brightest.

"It doesn't like light!" he gasped, fumbling with the survival light's clasp. It finally came free, and he tossed it over his shoulder. "Here, use this to slow it down! We'll take care of the last few Lickers."

"Got it!" Rebecca snatched the light out of the air and quickly turned it on. She turned the bright light on the dinosaur-like B.O.W., wincing as its pained shriek echoes through the hallway. It flapped those claw-tipped wings and rose from the floor, angling itself slightly as it suddenly flew towards them. "Oh God, it's coming right for us!"

"Get down!"

Billy grabbed his wife and dove for the floor, twisting so that his body cushioned her fall. He grunted as they landed, lifting the Magnum to fire at the monster which flew overhead. It took all six bullets without faltering, and he swore viciously as he was forced to reload. He shoved the speed loader into place, swung the chamber closed, and readjusted his aim. He got off one more shot before it flew past Vincent and Leon. It landed on the other side of them, and he scrambled to his feet to help.

Much to his relief, Leon and Vincent were already pumping the damned thing full of lead. Between the Killer 7 and the Cerberus, the B.O.W. didn't stand a chance. It shuddered and shook as it fell to the ground, joining a large pile of dead Lickers, its death-knell a deafening scream that _almost _sounded human. Rebecca made a soft, distressed sound beside him, and he reached out. He pulled her to him, keeping the hot Magnum away from her back as he cradled her close. She looked up at him with the big green eyes that had captured his heart so long ago, and he couldn't help but smile, despite the grim circumstances.

"You okay, sweetheart?" he asked in a murmur.

Rebecca nodded as she returned his smile wearily. "I'll just be glad when this is over," she returned in a tired voice.

"So will I." He sighed and ran his free hand over her sleek cap of honey-brown hair, pressing a kiss to her forehead before forcing himself to release her. He looked to Leon, who was shaking his head as he nudged the dead B.O.W. with his foot. "What about you guys? You doing okay up there?"

Leon glanced at Vincent, whose expression was dark with impatience, before nodding slowly. "We're fine, Billy." He ran a tired hand through his tawny hair and stepped over the corpse, wanting nothing more than to get this over with so he could go home. "Come on, Vincent. Let's get you back to your friends."

Vincent paused in the act of reloading, something in Leon's voice snagging his attention. He watched the other man as he walked down the hall, his frown darkening as he snapped the Cerberus closed and followed. He was puzzled as he strove to decipher what had been behind the other man's words. Weariness, certainly, but that was to be expected, in light of their current circumstances. It had almost sounded like. . .disappointment.

He wasn't quite sure what to make of that, so he tucked the thought away for future analysis. While he had become quite adept at reading people over the course of his unnaturally long life, he had never been able to understand their motivations. Ever since the day Lucrecia had chosen to inject her unborn child with Jenova cells, he had found himself unable to comprehend or predict the actions of others. He had taught himself to read body language and anticipate physical responses, but that had only come after spending months in Cloud's company during their quest to save The Planet. The younger man had taught him a great deal, but even he didn't quite understand the complexities of human nature.

Vincent shrugged mentally as he caught up with Leon, who was standing before a narrow door with a cylindrical-shaped handle. The other man glanced at him, smiled tightly, and grasped the handle with both hands. He turned the handle clockwise, wincing a little as the metal screeched in protest. Several more turns and the heavy access hatch hissed as it opened, and from behind him, he heard Billy mutter something uncomplimentary about hatch dogs, whatever that meant.

The noise was the first thing Vincent noticed. The sounds of sword and bullet striking flesh, Barret's battle cry nearly drowned out by the retorts of multiple guns. He could see the flash of the Buster Sword as it reflected the light which shone ever so brightly from manmade stalagmite formations, and the sight comforted him as little else could. His friends--his _family_--had come for him. Together, they would somehow find a way to stop Genesis' madness and return to their own world.

As he stepped over the threshold, he found himself on an overhang, one which had obviously been designed with humans in mind. Meant to appear as part of the cave itself, it narrowed and curled around the wall to his left. He narrowed his eyes and cursed as he observed the large break about ten feet down. It would be hard enough for him to jump a whole that wide, but it would be impossible for Leon and the others. The only other alternative was to jump to the room below, and Vincent found the thought less than appealing.

Vincent turned back to the glanced back at his comrades, who were fighting for their very lives, the decision already. He strode to the edge of the overhang and mentally calculated the distance of that jump. Damn, he thought with a sigh, this was going to hurt.

He glanced over his shoulder at Leon, his crimson eyes locking on the other man's. "Do you trust me?" he asked simply.

Leon nodded and stepped towards him. "What did you have in mind?"

"I can get us down there," Vincent's gaze flicked to the battle below before coming back to his, "but not as I am."

Ah. Leon cleared his throat uncomfortably, shrugging with a casualness he didn't feel. "I'm game," he said, turning to Billy. "What about you, Coen? Are you up for a little ride?"

"_Shit."_ Billy glanced at his wife, who immediately nodded her assent, then back at his best friend. "So long as he doesn't use Chaos, we're in."

Leon laughed, the sound forced, and turned back to Vincent. "We're all yours, Vincent."

Vincent only nodded once. "I won't be able to speak once I've changed into the Galian Beast, but I'll be in total control. All you will have to do is hold onto me. I'll do the rest."

"Understood." Leon took a step back, motioning for Billy and Rebecca to do the same. He watched with an unsettling combination of awe, wonder, and not a little fear as the air around Vincent began to change. Once again, it became electrically charged, almost as if the very molecules around the other man were being altered for his use.

Leon wondered if maybe that wasn't a little close to the truth as a whorl of pure white light began to form around Vincent Valentine. The light brightened quickly, nearly blinding them as it enveloped Vincent. Then, it was gone, and they were left blinking with surprise.

Nearly seven feet tall, the beast before them bore little resemblance to the man they had come to know. Deep blue fur covered a large, muscular frame, while his hair had turned a startling shade of silver. Two large black horns sprung out of the hair, curving until they nearly met in an arch over his head. The face was something straight out of an old werewolf movie, complete with dog-like snout and overlarge canines. Even his hands and feet were different now, no longer encased in gloves or armor, instead sporting black, razor-sharp claws instead of fingers and toes.

Blood-red eyes met Leon's own, their slitted pupils contracting even as he watched, and let out a shaky breath. "We're coming," he muttered, almost wishing he hadn't agreed to this. But they had been lucky to go unnoticed by the flying B.O.W.s this long. If they didn't get down below, they'd get attacked up here, and they'd probably die. This cliff, or whatever it really was, didn't leave a lot of room for maneuvering.

He holstered the Killer 7 and came to a halt beside the altered man. He hesitated as he wondered just how to do this, when one blue-furred arm was extended before him. Leon glanced at it, then at what Vincent had called the Galian Beast. "You're sure?" he murmured in nearly inaudible voice.

That wolf-like head dipped once as Vincent lowered himself in to a half-crouch. Leon drew a deep, steadying breath and reached out. He grasped the arm with his right hand, placed his left on Vincent's shoulder, and awkwardly climbed onto him. That arm shifted back, caught him, and settled him in what Leon assumed was a more comfortable position.

Even though he could feel the leashed power in that inhuman body, he was suddenly unafraid. He grinned over his shoulder at Billy and Rebecca. "All aboard!" he called out jokingly.

Billy only shook his dark head as he came forward, for once blessedly silent. He gave Rebecca a little boost, watching with intent cobalt eyes as she grabbed the monster that was Vincent around the neck and settled on his back as best she could. He moved to the beast's left side, silently calling himself all kinds of stupid, and climbed onto the blue-furred monster as he'd seen Leon do.

Those animalistic red eyes cut to him, and he nodded stiffly. "Let's just get this over with. Alright, Vince?"

Sharp, overlong teeth flashed briefly in what Billy assumed was a smile, and then they were flying through the air. Billy's eyes widened for instant before he slammed them closed and hung on for dear life.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, who are the property of Capcom and Square-Enix, respectively.

Synopsis: If you've played Dirge Of Cerberus, and you got the secret ending, you'll have an idea of what I'm planning. If not, you'll figure it out soon enough:)

Author's Note: Finally, Vincent is reunited with his friends. Beta'd by Littlehouseinthewoods.

* * *

Chapter Nine

A thunderious roar was all the warning Cloud got before a large blue blur dropped out of the air beside him. Acting on instinct, he whirled around, both swords raised for a fatal strike. His mako-blue eyes widened briefly, and he found himself lowering his weapons, a grin spreading across his too-young features. He watched with relief and not a little amusement as three people--whose garb marked them as some kind of soldiers--slid shakily off of Galian Beast's back.

Cloud couldn't help but chuckle as he nodded once in their direction, his bright gaze immediately finding Vincent's. That dog-like snout drew back, a long tongue lolling out of one side of its fanged mouth, in what passed for the Beast's smile. Cloud returned it before turning away, secure in the knowledge that Vincent would guard his back, no matter what might come.

Thank Gawd! he thought fervently. Vincent was alive and well and with them once again. It was time to end this.

The lights from the stalagmite formations had suddenly brightened a short while ago, and that had already helped them in their battle with the seemingly endless multitude of Umbrella monsters. The creatures--B.O.W.s, Redfield had called them--had been weakened significantly by the increased luminescence, and was making them that much easier to kill.

He lifted both swords and took a few steps to his right, slashing at the winged abomination that hovered just out of Tifa's reach. The length of The Hardedge and the Buster Sword gave him all the range that he needed. He closed both of the enormous blades in a scissor-like motion, and the monster dropped to the ground in two gory pieces. His wife sent him an all too familiar look, an endearing mixture of gratitude, exasperation, relief, and love, before moving on to the next monster.

Cloud could feel Vincent at his back, the odd sensation of fur brushing against his cloth-covered skin, intermittently moving away and drawing close as he fought. His mako-enhanced senses picked up the sounds of low growls and claws rending skin, and he allowed himself a small smirk. Not much could stand up to Vincent in his human form, let alone once he'd transformed into one of his alter egos. He had a feeling that this battle wasn't going to last much longer, which was fine by him. He had a few things to say to his distant, stoic friend that simply couldn't be said in the midst of battle.

He cut his way through the remaining monsters as quickly as he could, all the while taking note of the barrage of gunfire from both S.T.A.R.S. and Barret. While he could deflect bullets with one or both of his swords, it made it damn near impossible to fight anything else while doing so. Luckily, his own battle experience--along with that he had so unwittingly drawn from a dying Zack--was more than enough to keep him out of the path of those whizzing projectiles.

Cloud pushed all thoughts of his long-dead friend from his mind, knowing better than to dwell on the past, and all the things he couldn't change. For two years after Meteorfall, he had punished himself for his perceived failures. He had withdrawn from life, hiding in Aeris' church, hurting those who cared for him. After that final battle with Kadaj and Sephiroth, he had sworn to never again let his guilt get the better of him. While it was still there and probably always would be, he wouldn't let it dictate the course of his life. Those he had failed were gone, and he couldn't bring them back. It was enough to know that they watched over him from the Lifestream, and that he had long ago been forgiven. He wouldn't ask for any more than that.

Vincent slashed through one of the larger monsters, grunting as it flailed out with one claw-tipped wing in retaliation. Those sharp appendages sliced a trio of wounds into the fur-covered skin Galian's torso, cutting a little too easily through the spiral-shaped armor protecting it. He roared with pain and rage and grabbed the beak-tipped skull with one massive hand, crushing it into a bloody pulp. The bird-like body dropped to the floor in an ungraceful heap of decayed skin and hollow bones, and he turned away with an intense, animalistic feeling of satisfaction.

While he might hate the fact that he shared his body with four demonic beings, some dark portion of his psyche reveled in the power those beings bestowed upon him. Unfortunately, he only had so much time before the transformation would begin to drain him. If he didn't reverse the change soon, it would be forced on him, and that was something to be avoided at all costs.

With a mental sigh, he slashed his way to a relatively safe part of the room. He heard Cloud call his name, concern apparent in his smooth voice, but Vincent couldn't speak to reassure him. He could only draw a deep breath and command the Galian Beast to withdraw. The demon within howled its displeasure, but resisted for only a few moments before giving way.

Vincent ignored the unpleasant tingle along his spine, the surreal sensations as his DNA restructured itself, as his body changed until only he remained. He immediately drew Cerberus and launched himself back into fray. He found himself fighting alongside both Leon and S.T.A.R.S. as they cut down the already dwindling number of monsters. Cloud and the others were fighting on the other side of the cave, using the teamwork which had been so successful against Sephiroth and Jenova three years before.

Even as he fought alongside those who belonged in this world, he couldn't help but watch his friends--his family--fight with a nostalgic pang. While they hadn't been separated for than a handful of hours, he had missed them horribly. And as much as he hated the fact they might now be trapped here because of him, he was glad to know that he was no longer _alone._

He felt something hit his back and immediately whirled around. He saw a flash of auburn hair, heard a high cry of feminine distress, and reacted instinctively. He grabbed Claire with his gauntleted hand, careful not to pierce her with the sharp golden talons, and yanked her away from the creature that was snapping at her with its bird-like beak. He lifted Cerberus and fired, unloading all seven bullets into its head.

It fell to the ground, its cranium destroyed, and looked to woman who already struggling against his hold. He quickly released her, scanned the area for more monsters, and holstered the empty gun. Her vivid blue eyes narrowed on his, and he was suddenly aware that her S.T.A.R.S. companions were all gazing him with wide eyes. "Are you all right?" he asked, ignoring those wary stares.

"Yeah," she snapped, those cerulean eyes flashing as she looked from him to the corpse and back again, "I'm fine."

He inclined his head once, relief filling him as Leon approached from his right. The blond was smiling as he came to a halt beside him, his bright blue eyes showing relief.

"Claire's a little impulsive," he said, rolling those eyes. "Thanks, for saving her from herself, Vincent."

Claire snorted. "Don't start, Leon. I'm not some helpless little--"

"_Vincent!"_

Crimson eyes widened dramatically as Vincent spun around, one hand going to the butt of the weapon he'd only just remembered was empty. However, there were no more creatures, no unexpected attacks save Yuffie's. The young ninja threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a stranglehold, her slender body shaking against his. He stumbled back a few steps before regaining his balance, his arms encircling her automatically. It took him a few moments to realize that she was speaking, but he really couldn't say that he was surprised. It was a rare moment when Yuffie Kusaragi _wasn't_ speaking.

"Damn it, Vincent! What did you think you were doing? Leaving me alone like that in the crater, taking on _Genesis_ by yourself." She paused, but only to frown up at him as she took another breath. "You scared the hell out of me, Vincent Valentine! Don't you _ever_ do anything like that again! You got that? I'm the greatest ninja in all of Wutai! Why the hell did you think you needed to protect _me_, anyway?!"

Vincent could only gaze down at her as emotions he'd never thought to feel again churned turbulently inside of him. He whispered her name and dragged her back to him, his arms tightening of their own volition. He turned his face into the fine silk of her sable hair, unable to release her as he knew he should. He could only close his eyes as he struggled to find the calm that he had learned so painfully during his thirty-year slumber.

It eluded him, only one thought surviving the avalanche of emotion she had so unwittingly drawn from him.

_Mine._

It was echoed by each of his four demons, Chaos' thunderous assertion of possession the most terrifying of all. It reverberated through his skull, and for just a moment, the demon's emotions mingled with his own. It was enough to show him that Chaos truly considered Yuffie to be his--_theirs_--and that he would do whatever it took to keep her, regardless of what Vincent had to say about it.

He shuddered and Yuffie shifted against him, her hands running through his hair, as she sought to comfort him. "Hey, it's all right," she told him in a surprisingly soothing tone.

"We're here, Vincent. We're right here with you. You're not alone anymore, okay?"

Vincent drew a deep, shaky breath and forced his unwilling arms to his sides. She released him slowly, her every movement screaming reluctance, and took a _very_ small step back. Her beautiful ebony eyes locked on his, and he was stunned by the depth of the emotions he saw in _her_. "Yuffie?" he questioned haltingly.

She blushed, deep rich color flushing her tanned skin. "Vincent, I--"

"Hey, coffin-boy!" He gazed at her for a moment longer before tearing his gaze from hers. His ruby eyes focused on Cid as he and the others approached. The pilot's faded blue eyes suspiciously moist as he came to a halt before them. "You okay, Vince?" he asked in a more somber tone.

Vincent could only nod as the other man set a hand on his shoulder. Cid didn't say anything more, merely squeezed his shoulder reassuringly and stepped aside. Barret came next, swaggering towards him as he transformed the Missing Score back into his prosthetic hand. The bronze-skinned man stopped a few feet away, lifting his square chin in an all too familiar gesture of defiance.

"You're late, bitch."

He smiled a little at the typically belligerent delivery of those words, though the collar of his cloak hid the gesture. "Barret," he greeted evenly, relieved to hear that none of his clamoring emotions were evident in his voice, "I could say the same of you."

The big man merely grunted as he stepped back, making room for Reeve, who's swarthy aristocratic features betrayed his concern. "Vincent," he greeted, struggling awkwardly with the shoulder strap of his machine gun, "are you all right?"

"Yes, Reeve." Vincent reached out casually and adjusted the strap with his gauntleted hand, ignoring the other man's surprised look. "You shouldn't be fighting without a Cait Sith unit, though."

Reeve smiled self-deprecatingly at that. "And you shouldn't have let Genesis pull you into that portal," he returned wryly.

"Point taken." Vincent glanced down at Nanaki, whose golden eyes shone luminescently as he sat before him. "It's good to see that you're well, Vincent. We were worried about you."

Vincent crouched down and ran his right hand over Nanaki's flame-bright mane, ignoring Billy's, "What the fuck? It _talks?", _as he did so. "It is good to see you as well, my friend."

Nanaki made a sound suspiciously close to a purr before ducking his head in an embarrassed manner. He glanced over his shoulder pointedly, watching as Tifa and Cloud drew near. Vincent smothered a sigh and nodded once before rising. Nanaki padded over to Yuffie, who had also stepped to one side to make room for their leader and his wife.

Tifa's brandy-colored eyes ran over him, relief replacing worry in their burnished depths.

She smiled fondly as she drew near, and Vincent returned the gesture freely. He had always admired Tifa Lockheart, whose bravery in battle was only encompassed by the generosity of her spirit. "You gave us quite a scare, Vincent."

"I know," he acknowledged solemnly. She studied him for a moment longer before nodding, her smile gentling as her gaze moved to her husband.

Cloud came towards him with slow, unhurried step that belied the SOLDIER speed Vincent knew he possessed. His vivid blue eyes, which glowed with mako-induced power, held a hint of reproach as he stopped before him. "Vincent," he greeted simply.

"Cloud," he returned, keeping his voice level as he sought the urge to cringe under that admonishing stare. The ex-SOLDIER merely gazed at him, disappointment lurking in those mako-bright orbs, and Vincent slowly dropped his gaze. There was no question in his mind that Cloud had unearthed the secret he had hidden for so long, and it shamed him that the man he admired most knew him for the monster that he truly was.

Cloud watched as the dark gunner lowered his head, breaking eye contact as though ashamed, and sighed silently. Vincent's reaction showed him that he had been right, after all. Not that it mattered to him. He really didn't care that Vincent shared Jenova's mometic legacy with him. It didn't make the former Turk any different in his eyes. All he wanted to know was why Vincent hadn't trusted them--trusted _him_--with the knowledge.

He waited with deceptive stillness, silently willing the other man to respond. Vincent finally raised his head, those gleaming crimson orbs giving away nothing, and he managed a small half-smile. Vincent had never been one to show his emotions, no matter how strongly he might feel about _anything._

He extended his right hand, his youthful features set in solemn lines, in an unmistakable gesture of friendship. Relief flowed through Vincent as he reached out in return, clasping the younger man's forearm in a warrior's handshake. He was shocked when Cloud took a swift step forward and drew him into a tight hug.

"Damn you, Vincent," he muttered fiercely. "If you _ever_ pull another stunt like that again, I'll kick your ass myself."

Vincent let out a startled laugh before putting his gauntleted hand around Cloud's shoulders in return. Cloud squeezed him briefly before pulling away, and Vincent let him go. Neither chose to comment on the uncharacteristic display of affection, instead reverting to more familiar ground.

"You're all right?" he couldn't help but ask, needing what he knew would be unnecessary reassurance. Unnecessary or not, he wanted to hear it from Vincent himself before they moved on. The other man merely nodded silently, not the verbal reassurance he'd sought, but it was enough.

Cloud stepped back, the strangely reckless smile returning. "Alright, everyone, Vincent's back and Genesis is still on the loose. So. . ." the smirk deepened, "let's mosey."

"Oh, Gawd, do you ya have to say it like _that?"_

Cloud's smile only widened as their friends began to tease him for the less-than-macho colloquialism. Ignoring the din, his gaze flicked to S.T.A.R.S. and their allies. They were talking amongst themselves, their nervous gazes returning to Vincent again and again. Cloud only shook his head, suddenly sure that the other man's shape-shifting ability was the source of their conversation.

His own gaze shifted back to Vincent, whose eyes were locked on Yuffie's upturned face as she stood as close to him as she dared. Even as he watched she lifted one deceptively delicate hand and began to fiddle with the fastenings of Vincent's cloak. Instead of moving away, as he had always done in the past, the other man merely shifted towards her, murmuring something that Cloud--even with his enhanced hearing--couldn't hear.

It was all Cloud could do not to laugh at the delighted smile that crept across the Wutaian Princess' face. It looked as though Yuffie might get a shot at her Dark Turk, as Cloud had heard her call him more than once. Better Vincent than _him,_ he thought with an amused shudder.

As though sensing his thoughts, the gunner lifted his head and turned towards him. Mako-blue met crimson-red, and any hint of humor faded. He kept his voice low as he said, "We need to talk."

Vincent's enigmatic mask slipped for just an instant before he nodded in agreement. "Yes, we do."

Ignoring Yuffie's overly curious gaze, the blond glanced around the cave-like room. He grimaced slightly at the sight of what had to be a least fifty dead monsters bleeding all over the man-made cavern. "Not here, though," he said quickly, his gaze finding and meeting Redfield's. "Are you ready to move on?"

Chris glanced at Leon, who nodded vigorously. He smiled faintly and replied, "We're ready, Cloud." Narrowed midnight blue eyes moved to Vincent, sweeping over him in a faint frown. "Leon says you're a shape-shifter?"

"Yes," Vincent replied, as though the large blue-furred beast he'd arrived as hadn't been answer enough.

The S.T.A.R.S. captain only studied him for a moment longer before nodding his dark head once. "You'll have to tell me what that's like--later, of course."

Vincent only sighed to himself. "As you wish, Captain Redfield."

Cloud chuckled at the resigned sound and gave him an affectionate thump on the back. Vincent quirked one ebony brow at him, his surprise obvious, and Cloud could only smile self-effacingly in response. He'd just had another one of his 'Zack' moments. Unlike him, Zack had _never_ been shy, and had been known to jump his friends out of the blue and sweep them into bone-cracking hugs for no reason at all. While Cloud wasn't nearly as impulsive as his friend had been, Zack's spontaneity occasionally manifested itself in him in smaller, less suicidal ways.

It didn't happen too often anymore, but it _did _happen. Otherwise, he never would have intruded on the other man's personal space like that. "Sorry," he said with a helpless shrug.

Vincent only returned his smile faintly. "I wish I could have met him," he murmured sincerely.

Cloud dropped his head for a moment, his golden spikes bouncing with the motion. "So do I," he said at length. "He would have liked you, Vincent."

The gunman merely shook his head at that. "You honor me, Cloud."

The former SOLDIER grinned suddenly, the expression one that was foreign to his normally reserved features. "Shows what you know," he retorted before turning away, his attention focusing on his wife.

Vincent watched as the other man approached Tifa and laced his fingers through hers. A year ago, that never would have happened. Cloud had been so self-conscious around people, even those he considered family, that he would have withdrawn at the first sign of Zack Fair's personality manifesting itself in him. It had taken Cloud a long time to come to terms with the man he shared his mind with, and the displaced blame he had felt for his death.

But he had done so, yet another testament to his astonishingly strong will. Cloud Strife, the lowly Shinra cadet, the only man on The Planet capable of defeating the great Sephiroth. Their chosen leader, who would always put their welfare before his own, no matter what it cost him. Always the reluctant hero, yet a hero, nonetheless. A man Vincent was honored to call 'friend'.

He glanced over his shoulder, where Leon, Billy, and Rebecca waited, their eyes on _him,_ and smiled. He wanted Leon to meet Cloud, of whom the former reminded him of so strongly. He glanced down at Yuffie, squeezed the hand that clung to his cloak so tightly, and stepped away. "I'll be right back," he promised her solemnly.

She frowned for a moment before crossing her arms over her chest. "You'd better be," she retorted with her typical fire.

He only smiled again. "Cloud," he called, slanting the man in question a pointed glance, "I have someone I want you to meet."

Cloud followed that deep red gaze, his curiosity immediately peaked. Vincent was the most anti-social person he'd ever known. He didn't like people, actually hated being around them, although he tolerated _them_ well enough. That Vincent was bringing this man--this _stranger_--to his attention was a _really_ big deal.

He shared a surprised look with Tifa, who only smiled and released his hand, and stepped forward. "Lead the way, Vincent. I'll follow."

Vincent shot him a strange look, a combination of puzzlement and wonder, before looking away. He found himself _leading_ the other man, whom he had followed without question for so long, to the place where Leon stood with faint confusion. While he was grateful that Cloud was willing to indulge him in this, he didn't quite understand the other man's behavior, nor his odd words.

A mystery best left for another time, he told himself firmly as he came to a halt before his newfound allies. "Leon, I'd like you to meet Cloud Strife. Cloud, this is Leon Kennedy."

Leon studied the shorter man--Sephiroth's clone--with unconcealed interest. This was the man that Vincent had talked about with a respect so strong that it bordered on awe. He was shorter than Leon had expected, a good five inches under six feet. He was slender but not too skinny, toned but not buff. His vivid blue eyes glowed even more than Vincent's, which he hadn't thought possible, and actually complimented the unruly blond spikes that sprung from the man's head.

What struck Leon the most was the fine, nearly feminine features. A slightly pointed chin and rather square eyebrows were all that saved him from being labeled 'androgynous'. But, it was a close thing. The reality of Cloud Strife was the last thing Leon had expected after listening to Vincent's terrible, yet fondly spoken, descriptions of the whole Meteorfall thing. The guy looked a damn _teenager._ If Leon had to guess his age, he'd place Cloud Strife somewhere around seventeen or eighteen. A little too young to have saved his world three years ago!

Cloud saw the disbelief that bloomed in Leon Kennedy's pale blue eyes and fought the urge to roll his own. Yeah, he knew he looked young, but still. . .Ah, the wonders of mako, he thought sourly.

He forced himself to stillness as he returned the perusal with one of his own. Leon was older than him by a few years, he'd guess. Dark blond hair, cherubic features, and--of course--a taller, slightly more muscular build. Taller than _his_ frame, at any rate.

Cloud snorted mentally. _Everyone_ was taller than him, it seemed. At least, this one wouldn't call him Spiky, or rub his head like he was a puppy, or make chocobo comparisons that never failed to piss him off. Leon Kennedy's eyes were mature eyes, _old_ eyes, like he had seen and done things that no one else had. A SOLDIER's eyes, only without the telltale mako glow.

He heard the subtle sound of leather-on-leather as Vincent shifted beside him and winced inwardly. While he and Leon had been engaged in their silent pissing contest, Vincent had been waiting patiently, and probably a bit nervously, for them to make nice. While Vincent would _always_ keep what he was feeling to himself, Cloud knew him well enough to know that his own silence was enough to worry his companion. For some reason he had never quite understood, Vincent actually _respected _him, fucked-up failure though he was.

Well, he wouldn't let the other man down, no matter how delusional he believed him to be. Cloud smiled a little at the ridiculousness of his thoughts as he extended his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he said at last, forcing the shyness from his voice. "You must be really special, to have earned Vincent's respect."

Leon blinked with surprise, his gaze shooting to Vincent's, before meeting his once more. "Uh, thanks," he said, clasping the shorter man's forearm in the same grip he had Vincent's only hours before. "I could say the same of you, Mr. Strife."

Cloud only shook his head, making his golden spikes sway comically, as he dropped his hand. "Call me Cloud," he said, his smile doubling as his enhanced hearing detected Vincent's silent sigh of relief. "After all, you took care of Vincent for us while we were. . . separated."

Vincent saw the quick, exasperated look Cloud sent his way and smiled faintly. "It seemed like the best course of action, at the time."

Cloud's snort was audible this time, even though he chose not to respond to the words. "There are two more," he said instead, his mako-bright eyes moving to Billy and Rebecca. "How about introducing _them,_ too?"

Vincent chuckled, the dark sound one that Cloud rarely heard. "Billy Coen and his wife, Rebecca Chambers. This is Cloud, our leader."

The one he'd called Billy was eyeing him with obvious skepticism, and Cloud just sighed. "I'm older than I look," he stated with irritation, "so don't ask."

"God, I hope so," Billy snapped right back, "or I'd be worried as hell about your world right now."

"Billy." Rebecca sent him a scolding frown before smiling sweetly at Vincent's very attractive commander. "The pleasure is ours, Cloud."

Cloud only nodded and shook her hand, not surprised when she grasped only his hand. Soldier or not, she _was_ female. He gestured to the rest of the group, making introductions as quickly as he could. Now that Vincent had been appeased, he wanted to get the hell out of there before something _else _happened.

He dug the map out of his supply pack and unfolded it, doing his best not to flinch as both parties crowded around him. Much like Vincent, he wasn't all that fond of people. "We've got more labs here," he said, gesturing to a point beyond the next corridor. "It looks like there are some observation rooms in the corridor itself. I say we check the hall, and then find a place to rest for a while. We've got a lot of notes to compare, now that we're all together."

He looked at Chris, then Leon. "How does that sound?"

Chris only nodded, his expression grim. Leon smiled faintly as he did the same. Neither spoke, which surprised Cloud a little, but he wasn't going to bitch. Until they got a chance to discover what Vincent knew about Genesis and Wesker's plans, the really couldn't move forward. And, he and Vincent _really_ needed to have that talk.

"Then, let's--"

"Say 'mosey' again and I'll kick your spiky little ass," Barret warned in a rumble.

Cloud only laughed and said, "Let's go."


End file.
